Agenda item

Application Number 17/0524: Tiffanys (Formerly Longacres), Station Road, Chobham

Minutes:

The application was for the erection of an indoor riding school. (Additional information recv'd 29/9/17 & 18/10/2017.) (Amendment to Description - Rec'd 02/11/2017.) (Amended info rec'd 06/11/2017) (Amended/Additional Plan and Change of Description - Rec'd 01/12/2017.)

 

This application would normally be determined under the Council's Scheme of Delegation, however, it had been called in for determination by the Planning Applications Committee at the request of Cllr Pat Tedder.  This minute should be read in conjunction with SU/17/0540 reported at minute 61/P.

 

Members were advised of the following updates:

 

“The Surrey Wildlife Trust has raised no objections to the proposal.

 

The Council’s Arboricultural Officer has formally raised no objections.

 

The Council’s Drainage Engineer has raised no objections subject to the imposition of a condition requiring the approval of drainage details by condition.

 

Further comments have been received from objectors summarised as follows:

 

·         Impact on drainage and watercourses [see Condition 7 below]

·         Material increase in traffic on bridleway [see Paragraph 7.5 of the officer report on the agenda]

·         Request moving the riding school [Officer comment: The relationship of these elements are considered to be acceptable and, if required, would require amended drawings and is likely to need a re-notification process to be undertaken]

 

In the light of the officer recommendation, further representations (from previous respondents) have requested the following conditions/limitations:

 

·         Safe access to the bridleway at all times [Officer comment: This is a matter for the County Council Footpaths Officer]

·         Damage to the bridleway, during construction and after, to be made good by the applicants [Officer comment: This is not a material planning consideration and the bridleway is outside the red line application site]

·         No operation of megaphones or loudspeakers [Officer comment: It is not considered that the proposal, being a private equestrian operation requires this level of control.  If there were any future concerns this could be considered under Environmental Health legislation]

·         No burning of material from the demolition process [Officer comment: See proposed Condition 5 below]

·         Tree Preservation Order for the retained oak at the site entrance [Officer comment: This is a matter for the Council’s Arboricultural Officer to consider and if taken forward, to be progressed through TPO legislation]

 

During further consideration of the application and concerns about the retention of the building beyond the cessation of the specialised nature of its proposed use, it is considered prudent to grant a five-year limited period permission so that the need for the building can be reviewed at that time. 

 

PROPOSED CONDITIONS

 

5.         No development shall take place until a Method of Construction Statement, to include details of:

 

(a) parking for vehicles of site personnel, operatives and visitors

(b) loading and unloading of plant and materials

(c) storage of plant and materials

(d) programme of works (including measures for traffic management)

(e) provision of boundary hoarding

(f) hours of construction

(g) confirmation of no on-site burning of material during the site clearance, demolition and construction phases has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

 

Only the approved details shall be implemented during the construction period.

             

Reason: The condition above is required in order that the development should not prejudice highway safety or residential amenities; nor cause inconvenience to other highway users and to accord with Policies CP11, DM9 and DM11 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

6.         The permission shall be for a limited period expiring on the 6 April 2023 when the building and works hereby permitted shall be removed and the land reinstated, to the reasonable satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority

 

Reason: In order to maintain control over the development, to review the specialised need for the development and to protect the openness of the Green Belt and to comply with the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

7.         No development shall take place until full details of surface water drainage systems and foul water drainage system are submitted and approved in writing by the LPA.  The surface water drainage system details to include attenuation of 1:100 year event at 40% climate change. Once approved the details shall be carried out prior to first occupation in accordance with the approved scheme.

 

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory development and to accord with Policies CP2 and DM10 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

8.        The proposed development shall be implemented in accordance with the BS5837 Arboricultural Impact Assessment by Tamla Trees [Ref 02779Rv2] dated November 2017 and received on 6 November 2017, subject to the submission and approval of revised details at Paragraph 5.4.3 of the report and implementation prior to the commencement of development (including any site clearance and/or demolition works), unless the prior written approval has been obtained from the Local Planning Authority. No development shall commence until digital photographs have been provided by the retained Consultant and forwarded to and approved by the Council's Arboricultural Officer. This should record all aspects of any facilitation tree works and the physical tree and ground protection measures having been implemented and maintained in accordance with the Arboricultural Report. The tree protection measures shall be retained until completion of all works hereby permitted.

 

Reason: To preserve and enhance the visual amenities of the locality in accordance with Policy DM9 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012.

 

9.         Details of the recommended further works set out in Paragraph 7.3 of the preliminary Ecological Appraisal by Drummond Ecology shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved details shall be provided prior to any site clearance or demolition works relating to the development hereby approved. 

Reason: In the interests of nature conservation and to comply with Policy CP14 of the Surrey Heath Core Strategy and Development Management Policies 2012.”

 

The Committee noted the application was for an indoor riding school, which would train, keep and provide specialist care for elite level competition horses. Some Councillors raised concerns about whether the proposed indoor riding school’s proposed purpose was enough to constitute “Very special circumstances”, as set out in paragraph 87 and 88 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

Members queried the provisions to ensure the additional surface run-off created by the developments did not result in a significant rise in flood risk in the surrounding areas. The concerns centred on the proposed development creating unsustainable extra discharge in the nearby brook and the River Bourne. Members also suggested the application constituted overdevelopment of the Green Belt.

 

The resolution to defer the application was proposed by Councillor Edward Hawkins and seconded by Councillor David Mansfield.

 

RESOLVED to defer the application for further investigation into drainage matters at the site and to conduct a Member Site Visit.

 

Note 1

It was noted for the record that:

 

                         i.        The Chairman declared on behalf of all Members of the Committee that they had received various pieces of correspondence from representees on the application.

                       ii.        Councillor Victoria Wheeler declared on applications 17/0540 and 17/0524 that one of the public speakers on the applications had attended her surgery.

Note 2

As this application triggered the Council’s Public Speaking Scheme, Mr Martin Collins spoke in objection to the application and Mr Gerry Binmore, the agent, and Mr Burrell, the applicant, shared a public speaking slot and spoke in support of the application.

 

Supporting documents: