Decision details

[At the beginning of this item, Councillor Blanchard-Cooper declared a prejudicial interest due to previous comments and decisions made as a Member of Littlehampton Town Council and as Chair of the Community Resources Committee with regards allotment provision. He confirmed that he had sought advice from the Monitoring Officer, who had advised that he did not need to leave the Chamber, but was uncomfortable remaining for the item. After making his declaration, he left the Chamber and did not take part in the discussion on the item or the vote.]

2 Public Speakers

Dr Carol Howell – Objector

Edward Nabbs – Applicant

Approval of reserved matters following LU/47/11 for the Southern allotments and access.

The Director of Growth presented the report with updates. He noted that since the publication of the Report Update, a response had been received from West Sussex County Council which confirmed they were ok with the proposed easement area and did not need to undertaken a road safety audit having reviewed their policy, but that they did seek an additional plan in relation to visibility splays. A request had been made to the applicant to provide this. Arun’s landscaping Officers had also confirmed they were ok with the species for hedge planting but had asked for further details on the ongoing management arrangements for these. This had been addressed by the inclusion of a condition. Two additional conditions from the consultant Ecologist had been missed from the report that related to mitigation to be carried out in accordance with the submitted appraisal and the submission of a biodiversity enhancement strategy and needed to be included within the list of conditions. The applicant had also been asked to provide an updated plan reference as per condition 1. To reflect these updates, the Director of Growth verbally amended the Officer recommendation (which was repeated by the Group Head of Planning at the end of the item) to the following:

‘To defer with delegated approval to the Group Head of Planning to grant planning permission following the satisfactory resolution of the outstanding matters regarding consultee responses and plans showing visibility splays. This will include the addition of two conditions recommended by the Ecologist as set out in the Report Update.’

He explained that the wording ‘in consultation with the Chair’ was being recommended to be removed from the recommendation due to the Chair’s role ceasing on 9 May and Officers being unable to exercise the delegation before a new Chair had been appointed after the election. This was followed by 1 Public Speaker.

One Member welcomed more allotments in the District but wondered whether any restrictions had been put on the size of sheds that might be used for storage on-site. The Director of Growth explained that no such recommendation had been proposed by Officers but that Members could add one if they felt it appropriate bearing in mind the challenges this level of control might bring for the Council. The Chair questioned whether this would ultimately be a matter for Littlehampton Town Council. The Director of Growth explained that Littlehampton Town Council would be the Managing Authority with their own set of controls, but the Committee could add a condition as the Planning Authority if there was a planning reason to do so. The Chair asked the Committee for their preference on whether a condition be added to the planning approval or left as a matter to be dealt with by Littlehampton Town Council. After a vote by the show of hands, the Committee’s feeling was that it was a matter to be dealt with by Littlehampton Town Council.

A Member asked about pedestrian access and why allotments had not instead been designed as part of the strategic site housing developments. Following answers from the Director of Growth, another Member noted that Nightingale Way took up some of the previously allocated allotment space and so this was a land swap of sorts to replace land lost to development. After the Group Head of Planning repeated the amended recommendation, it was proposed by Councillor Chace and seconded by Councillor Kelly.

The Committee

          RESOLVED

To defer with delegated approval to the Group Head of Planning to grant planning permission following the satisfactory resolution of the outstanding matters regarding consultee responses and plans showing visibility splays. This will include the addition of two conditions recommended by the Ecologist as set out in the Report Update.