Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance).

http://planning.welhat.gov.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=88818

Report of the Corporate Director (Public Protection, Planning and Governance) on the installation of standalone solar PV panels associated planting and ground works.

The application site was in the Green Belt.  It comprised a trapezoid of land measuring 55m long and 44m wide covering an area of approximately 1,800sqm within a meadow which belonged to the owners of No 94 Harmer Green Lane and lay to the west side of the landscaped grounds of that property.  The new house under construction at No 94 had been granted planning permission in 2015 (reference number 6/2015/1588/FULL).

The meadow was currently partly planted as a wild flower meadow which reverted to earth/grass in the winter and also contained a mature tree.  It was accessed through a gate on its eastern boundary from the landscaped grounds belonging to No 94.  There was also a gate onto the public footpath which ran along the southern boundary of the meadow.  The north of the meadow was marked by the hedge on the boundary with the rear gardens of 90 and 92 Harmer Green Lane.  To the west the meadow was edged by a thick copse of trees. 

The application site was semi-circular and set in a slight dip in the landscape approximately 19m from the rear garden boundaries of 90 and 92 Harmer Green Lane.  At the time of the Officer site visit in December 2018 the land had been further excavated into a slight depression.  These excavation works also required planning permission as they were in association with the proposed photovoltaic panels.

The application had been presented to the Committee because Councillors R.Trigg and J.Cragg had called it in.

Councillor Trigg had called it in for the following reason:

“I support environmentally friendly schemes and I believe this revised scheme will not harm the green belt.”

Councillor Cragg had called it in for the following reason:

“I have concerns about the scale of the proposed development and its impact on the visual amenities of neighbouring occupiers and the green belt."

N.Kempster, (applicant) spoke in support of the application.

P.Langford, (objector) spoke representing the group of neighbours who had objected to the application on the grounds that this was inappropriate development within the Green Belt on meadow/grazing land and would have a significant detrimental impact.

Borough Councillor J.Cragg, spoke as Ward Member against the application citing residents’ concerns about harm to the green belt and their amenity value.

Following discussion, it was proposed by Councillor S.Elam, seconded by Councillor H.Bromley and

RESOLVED:

(10 voting for, 3 against)

That planning permission be refused for the reasons set out in the report of Officers.

REFUSED DRAWING NUMBERS

POSITIVE AND PROACTIVE STATEMENT

The decision has been made taking into account, where practicable and appropriate the requirements of paragraph 38 of the National Planning Policy Framework and material planning considerations do not justify a decision contrary to the development plan (see Officer’s report which can be viewed on the Council's website or inspected at these offices).