The Chairman asked all persons present to silence their phones for the duration of the meeting.

Subject to declarable interests all Members of the Committee have the right to vote on all matters of business considered by the Committee.

Rule No. 13.5.5 of the Constitution states that Members do not vote or take part in the meeting’s discussions on a proposal unless they have been present to hear the entire debate, including the officer’s introduction to the matter.

The Chairman, under Part E3 paragraph 9.2 has a second or casting vote should there be equal numbers of votes for and against an item.  This provision makes it quite clear that the Chairman is entitled to vote on any item of business.  There is no restriction or limitation on how the second or casting vote should be exercised nor is there a requirement that the right be exercised at all.

A second Late Sheet had been issued to Members of the Committee prior to the meeting.  The Chairman asked the Committee if they would like a short adjournment to provide them an opportunity to review the information.   The Committee agreed.

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.

Additional information was received prior to the meeting and a second Late Sheet was prepared for the Committee members, and was published to the Council’s website.  A copy of the second Late Sheet is attached as an Appendix to these Minutes.

During consideration of the Application 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 :        Clipstone Park, Land South of Vandyke Road & North of Stanbridge Road, Leighton Linslade

Mixed use urban extension including 1210 dwellings, 70 units of Assisted Living for the Elderly, Class B1, B2, B8 Employment, Renewable Energy Plant and Recycling Facility, a Neighbourhood Centre comprising Retail Uses (Class A1-A3), a Public House (Class A4), a Multi Purpose Hall (Class D1), a GP Surgery (Class D1), Offices (Class B1), a Childrens Nursery (Class D1) and Associated Car Parking, Community Hall (Class D1), Retail Units (Class A1-A3), an Elderly Person Care Home of up to 70 Beds (Class C2), a New Eastern Link Road between Vandyke Road and Stanbridge Road together with associated residential and employment access roads with associated car parking, the laying out of an area to the north and south of Clipstone Brook as a Park forming part of an Area of Green Infrastructure, the laying out of structural landscaping and green corridors for recreational use, the laying of 7.45 hectares of land as formal pitch provision together with the erection of appropriate changing facilities, the construction of footways and cycleways, the construction of structures to accommodate Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, the laying out of 0.75 hectares as Allotments, the construction of 2 neighbourhood equipped areas for play and four locally equipped areas of play, a Lower School and Middle School including a Multi Use Games Area, Land for expansion of Vandyke Upper School including a Multi Use Games Area. 

Applicant :    Willis Dawson Holdings

Following the Principal Planning Officer’s presentation, the Committee adjourned at 12.05pm and reconvened at 12.15pm.  Cllr Dalgarno left the meeting to attend a funeral.

RESOLVED

That, subject to the referral of the application to the Secretary of State, in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Consultation)(England) Direction 2009, and the completion of a prior Section 106 Agreement that the Head of Development Management be authorised to grant Planning Permission if the Secretary of State does not call in the application and in doing so, to make such amendments to the schedules to the permission as he considers necessary, subject to the conditions as set out in the Schedule appended to these Minutes.

A request for a recorded vote upon the decision for this planning application was made and voted upon.  Upon being put to the vote to approve the application, including the amended Condition 9, the following vote was recorded:

Councillors: Aldis, Bastable, Berry, Blair, Bowater, Brown, Janes, Johnstone, Maudlin, Matthews, Nicols, Spurr and Young.

Voted in accordance with the proposal to approve the application.

No Councillors voted against the recommendation to approve the application.

Councillor Shingler abstained.

The recommendation was approved. 13 for, 1 abstained.