Agenda item

To determine the application.

David Rowen presented the report to members.

The committee has regard to its inspection of the site (as agreed in accordance with the Site Inspection: Policy and Procedure (minute P19/04 refers)) during its deliberations.

Members received a presentation, in accordance with the public participation procedure, from Angela Johnson, an objector to the proposal. Mrs Johnson stated that her comments were in relation to this application and the two similar applications on the same site that would be following this item. She stated that the comments and objections raised in no way reflect the character, friendliness and politeness of the travellers and their families and there is also no prejudice towards travellers and their families as evidenced by the fact that there are already 11 sites for statics and for other touring caravans within the same proximity as these applications.

Mrs Johnson expressed the view that there are a number of realistic concerns raised by residents, who she is representing, and there is also a letter of objection from the Parish Council, with some of the objections and concerns raised being with regard to issues like water, waste and sewage and although the officer commented that there are conditions on the applications there are no conditions on the site and there is no report from the officers on the application site to reflect any of these questions she is putting forward. She made the point that the applications total 7 mobile static caravans and an application for 8 statics in The Spinney raise repetitive objections from the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) in regards of surface water, domestic effluence, sewerage and drainage yet there has been no recorded consultation with the LLFA referencing these applications, the total being one less than what is in The Spinney already.

Mrs Johnson stated that the number of sited tourers at any one time is going to be up to 9 and questioned whether these going to be occupied or are these parked unoccupied because this will also impact upon water, waste, sewage etc. She queried why the Design and Access Statement has not included anything like sewage or drainage drawings in the plans, there is no evidence of a treatment plant or a septic tank and so what impact is this going to have on the environment and ecological area surrounding these sites.

Mrs Johnson expressed the view that another concern is overcrowding and congestion, with each plot having a static caravan, one or possibly two tourers and up to two cars and will also have possibly storage sheds, outhouses, garden play areas, with overcrowding making traffic movement difficult especially with moving tourers as access in and out of the site with a tourer is going to be extremely tight and if this is happening when another vehicle approaches it will be even more hazardous due to the tight bends. She stated that the major concern of most residents is with road safety along The Hook and Horsemoor, if Highways and the planning officer have visited the site then they will be fully aware of the danger for other road users along these narrow single-track roads.

Mrs Johnson referred to the Design and Access Statement which states that there is a 60 mile not 40 mile narrow single track road which runs south and east of the site, which has been compromised, in her view, along the public grass verges by the unwarranted inappropriate positioning of large sections of tree trunk, there are overhanging overgrown trees, which has nothing to do with the applicants, and there is boundary encroachment onto the public verges by hard landscaping and fencing. She feels it is impossible for vehicles to safely pass each other, with Horsemoor having a deep ditch on one side and fields on the other side with no valid passing areas and both roads have large potholes, deteriorating tarmac verges and subsidence.

Mrs Johnson stated that the Design and Access Statement refers to the hard and soft landscaping to integrate the site into the rural surroundings but at present high wooden fences enclose the site impeding visibility when approaching the tight bend onto Horsemoor. She expressed the view that access points are dangerously close to the tight bend, one is almost opposite Fairview’s access and then there is also an access road that leads to farms and other residences that is on the bend or leading off the bend and provided a scenario where a vehicle and tourer is leaving the site turning right heading towards Wimblington, a tractor and trailer comes in around the tight right-hand bend from Wimblington to The Hook unable to see the vehicle and caravan leaving the site, with any horse rider, dog walker or cyclist being already half way down the road with there being no safe haven for them, there is nowhere for the heavy vehicles to safely pass each other even the access points mentioned in the Design and Access Statement of other residents accesses are not big enough to take a car and a caravan or a tractor or a trailer to pull over, reversing back along the road is also going to be a hazard.

Mrs Johnson reiterated that residents’ main concerns are the road, waste and sewage and there are other concerns that people have and asked has sequential testing been carried out with regards to other vacant sites rather than here and was a site visit made by the committee to see how narrow the roads are. She asked that the committee refuses the incomplete applications or at least rejects the number of sited tourers.

Members asked questions of officers as follows:

·       Councillor Mrs French asked why there are no comments from the LLFA? Nick Harding responded that the site is smaller than a hectare, therefore, consultation with the LLFA is not triggered.

·       Councillor Mrs French referred to the comments of Mrs Johnson and asked how the sewage is being disposed of? David Rowen responded that the report sets out that this is to be dealt with through a personal treatment plant and recommended condition 9 requires within 2 months of the date of the decision if permission is granted full details of the foul drainage treatment including future maintenance should be submitted and installed in accordance with the approved details.

·       Councillor Mrs French referred to the confidential report that has been received, which has changed the recommendation and asked if this is correct? David Rowen responded that the two reports are to be read together so the officer recommendation set out in the public agenda pack is to grant and the confidential information is supplementary to explain the rationale in the main report.

Proposed by Councillor Mrs French, seconded by Councillor Skoulding and agreed that the application be APPROVED as per officer’s recommendation.

(Councillors Connor and Mrs Davis declared that they were pre-determined on this application and left the room for the duration of the discussion and voting thereon. Councillor Mrs Mayor chaired this application after being nominated by other members)

(Councillor Murphy registered, in accordance with Paragraph 2 of the Code of Conduct on Planning Matters, that he had been lobbied on this application)