Seaton Town Council
PLANNING COMMITTEE MINUTES
Monday 23rd April 2007
PRESENT:
- Cllr Mrs Jones (Chairman)
- Cllrs W Buskin
- R Farlow
- J Meakin
- R Morgan
- J Pigott
- J Seward
- Mrs R Partridge- Hogbin
- Mr S Belli, EDDC Development Control Manager
In Attendance
Cllr P Burrows, J Knight
APOLOGIES:
Cllrs L Garner, R Parry
QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
Mrs Semple asked some questions of Mr Belli relating to the outline planning application for the regeneration area which he responded to later in the meeting.
591/06APOLOGIES
Apologies were accepted and approved.
592/06DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Cllr Knight declared that as a District Councillor he would not vote on any applications.
593/06PRESENTATION BY Mr S BELLI
The Chairman introduced Mr Belli and welcomed him to the meeting.
Mr Belli gave a very informative talk on his background and on his role within the EDDC Planning Department as Development Control Manager. He then responded to a number of questions from Members and the public:
a) Delegation
Mr Belli explained that the delegation system at EDDC was complex but results in more applications going to committee than some areas. He said there has to be a degree of delegation because of the high number of applications submitted, and to meet the government’s target of 90% delegation rule. He said all applications that were contentious went to committee.
b) Enforcement
Mr Belli explained the problem of recruiting Enforcement Officers but said funding was in place for an additional Officer. The need for an effective enforcement system was recognised and was being given more importance. Mr Belli said that he was charged with reviewing the service.
c) Tourism
Mr Belli was asked his views on whether he considered tourism important in the area. He replied that if tourism was the main economic driver, it had to be given importance and he very much supported it. However, he said in some instances, competing policies made it difficult to put the benefits of tourism above other consideration. The aim was always to reach a balanced decision.
d) Listed Buildings
Mr Belli said that a number of issues were taken into consideration when looking at LBC applications. He said one was to understand why a building had been listed in the first place, how building works were carried out, ensuring the retention of the building’s identify and preservation if its use. He advised Members to speak to EDDC Conservation Officer if they had concerns, who would be pleased to advise them.
e) Regeneration application
Mr Belli said there were many technical issues about this application still to be addressed and he could not therefore give any detailed answers to Mrs Semple’s questions.
f) Non-compliance with planning conditions
Mr Belli acknowledged that when planning conditions were not complied with, it gave the message that approval was not required. He agreed that enforcement needed to be a high priority as well as ensuring that people’s perception of the planning system was that it worked fairly.
g) Sustainable development
Mr Belli said that he was in favour of the principles of sustainable development; however, there was pressure from the government to build on brownfield sites and garden areas. He supported policies that discouraged the use of the car but ensured that small communities were developed sufficiently to ensure that they stayed alive.
Mr Belli was thanked by all Members for taking the time to attend their meeting. He was thanked for his very informative contribution and it was hoped that he would agreed to return to meet with the incoming Council in due course.
Cllr Burrows left the meeting
594/06TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PLANNING APPLICATIONS
a) 07/0873/FUL demolish existing bungalow and erect two dwellings with integral garages, Springmead, Colyford Road Seaton
Members unanimously recommended Refusal of the plan before them for 2 two-storey houses. Whilst they agreed that the plot was sufficiently large, the properties within the area were all bungalows and to erect two-storey dwellings would be out of keeping and out of character with the area. They also believed that there would be a loss of light and privacy to neighbours if the proposed dwellings were more than one storey.
b) 07/0900/LBC remove door and replace with wall, 1 Westcliff Terrace, Seaton
Cllr Buskin declared a personal interest being a friend of the applicant.
Members unanimously recommended Approval
c) 07/0960/FUL Loft conversion, including construction of dormer windows, 28 Townsend Road, Seaton
Members unanimously recommended Approval
d) 07/1032/ADV Fascia sign, 2 Marine Cres, Marine Place, Seaton
Members unanimously recommended Approval
The Chairman thanked her colleagues for their help and support during her term as chairman of the committee, and gave her best wishes to those colleagues who were not standing for re-election at the forthcoming elections.
The meeting closed at 7.55 pm
Archived Copies of Minutes
Copies of all Minutes of all the Council's meetings are held in the Council Office and copies are sent to Seaton Library once they have been signed by the chairman as a true record of proceedings at the subsequent meeting.