If any

None.

To approve as a correct record, the Minutes of the meeting of the Development Management Committee held on  22 July 2009.

 (Circulated Seperately)

The Chairman advised Members that the Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 22 July 2009 were not yet available.  He added that the minutes would be submitted for approval to the next Committee meeting on 26 August 2009.

NOTED

To receive Petitions in accordance with the schem of public participation set out in Annex 2 in Part 4 of the Constitution.

None received.

To consider proposals, if any, to deal with any item likely to involve disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant paragraph(s) of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 prior to the exclusion of the press and public.

No proposals were received to deal with any item likely to involve the disclosure of exempt information.

In advance of consideration of the following Planning Applications the Committee received a Late Sheet advising it of additional consultation/publicity responses, comments and proposed additional/amended conditions.  A copy of the Late Sheet is attached as an Appendix to these Minutes.

During consideration of some of the Applications the Committee received representations from members of the public in accordance with the Public Participation Procedure as set out in Annex 3 of Part A4 of the Constitution.

Address: Land between Stoke Road and Bossington Lane and north of Rothschild Road, Stoke Road, Linslade

Residential development comprising of up to 199 dwellings, strategic open space, children's recreation area, ancillary car parking and landscaping. (Outline application with access to be determined at this stage)

Applicant:  J S Bloor (Northampton) LTD

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. SB/09/00163/OUT relating to land between Stoke Road and Bossington Lane and north of Rothschild Road, Stoke Road, Linslade be refused as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

Address: Haybury Lodge 20A Lanes End, Heath And Reach, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0AE

Construction of balcony with new rear entrance and external stairs

Applicant:  Mr White

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. CB/09/05143/TP relating to Haybury Lodge, 20A Lanes End, Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 0AE be refused as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

Address: Linslade Lower School, Leopold Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2QU

The proposal is to install 30 solar PV panels on the roof of the school in order to generate sustainable electricity. 22 of the panels will be on the flat roof and 8 units will be on the sloped roof of the older school building

Applicant:  Linslade Lower School

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. CB/09/05123/TP relating to Linslade Lower School, Leopold Road, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 2QU be approved as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

Address: Land adj 151 Trident Drive, Houghton Regis, Beds

Installation of a 6 metre high highway based column complete with cabinet base for control equipment and a CCTV camera

Applicant:  Houghton Regis Town Council

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. CB/09/05203/TP relating to land adjacent to 151 Trident Drive, Houghton Regis, Beds. be approved as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

Address: Eaton Bray Lower School, School Lane, Eaton Bray, Dunstable, LU6 2DT

Erection of extension to provide new classroom

Applicant:  Eaton Bray Lower School

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. CB/09/05232/TP relating to Eaton Bray Lower School, School Lane, Eaton Bray, Dunstable, LU6 2DT be approved as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

Address: Pulloxhill Lower School, Fieldside Road, Pulloxhill, Bedford, MK45 5HN

            Full:  Timber post canopy.

Applicant:  Pulloxhill Lower School

RESOLVED

that Planning Application no. CB/09/05266/FULL relating to Pulloxhill Lower School, Fieldside Road, Polluxhill, Bedford, MK45 5HN be approved as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

RESOLVED

that the following Members be appointed to conduct any site inspections requested in advance of the next meeting of this Committee to be held on Wednesday, 26 August 2009:

Chairman (or his nominee)

Vice-Chairman (or his nominee)

Cllrs   P N Aldis

            K Janes

            H J Lockey

            A A J Rogers

The Committee received a report by the Head of Development Management (South) which sought Members’ endorsement of a proposed amendment to the Committee’s Terms of Reference so that future meetings would be held in one location on a three weekly cycle.  The report also sought Members’ endorsement of proposed changes to the Scheme of Delegation to Directors and other Officers with regard to the handling of Regulation 3 and Regulation 4 planning applications.

The meeting noted that these issues had previously been considered by the Constitution Advisory Group on 21 July 2009 and that the Group had decided that consultation should be undertaken with the Sustainable Communities Portfolio Holders, all Members of the Council and the Development Management Committee.  Any views expressed would then be referred back to the Constitution Advisory Group meeting on 25 August for consideration and then on to Full Council on 10 December for a decision. 

In response to a Member’s query the officer explained that the proposed meeting location was the Council Chamber at Priory House, Chicksands.  He stated that this venue was favoured because of the problems that had arisen when holding the meetings in Committee Room 1 at the Council Offices, Dunstable.

A Member suggested that a video link with Priory House be established so that members of the public in the south of Central Bedfordshire could make representations on planning applications without the need to travel to Chicksands.  In response the Portfolio Holder reminded the meeting that although the Task Force had supported an internet link to enable committee meetings to be observed by the public, and Priory House already processed the necessary technology for this to take place, it had not been envisaged that this would include public participation.  The Portfolio Holder stressed that, whilst not hostile to the proposal, he was concerned that the quality of the link would be so poor as to negate the efforts by the public when making their representations.  Given the problems which could arise he stated that simply broadcasting the Committee’s meetings over the web would reflect a more positive image of the Council’s work as a whole and he asked Members to consider this.

Nonetheless, the Member stated that suitable technology to enable public participation using a video link was available.  He commented that that the Council would be seen as both innovative and environmentally aware if it adopted this approach.  Another Member referred to his own highly positive experience of using such technology.

Turning to other aspects of the officer’s report the Vice-Chairman explained that a three weekly cycle of meetings had been suggested because the current two weekly cycle placed substantial pressures on the officers when producing reports.  In addition the original aim had been to submit northern based planning applications to Chicksands and southern based ones to Dunstable and this required a meeting each month at each location to ensure deadlines were met.  However, the geographical origin of the applications considered at meetings was now mixed and so the need  ...  view the full minutes text for item 145.