NORTH
PLANNING
AND REGULATORY FUNCTIONS COMMITTEE
Minutes of the Meeting held at
PRESENT:- County
Councillors John Fletcher (Chairman), John Blackburn, Heather Garnett, Robert Heseltine,
Bill Hoult, Andrew Lee, Jim Snowball, Herbert Tindall, Cliff Trotter and John
Wren.
Also in attendance approximately forty members of the
public.
Apologies were received from County Councillor Morris
Lightfoot.
It was reported that Alwyn Shaw, an Officer with North
Yorkshire County Council for over 28 years, and currently the Minerals and
Waste Planning Manager, would be retiring shortly after the meeting.
Members thanked Mr Shaw for his many years of service
to the County Council, and to the Planning and Regulatory Functions Committee,
and asked for their appreciation to be placed on record.
COPIES OF ALL DOCUMENTS CONSIDERED ARE
IN THE MINUTE BOOK
113.
MINUTES
RESOLVED
–
That the minutes of the meeting held on 10 October
2006, having been printed and circulated, be taken as read and be confirmed as
signed by the Chairman as a correct record.
114.
PUBLIC QUESTIONS OR STATEMENTS
The Head of Committee Services reported that, other
than those members of the public who wish to address the Committee in respect
of items concerning individual applications, he had not received notice of
anyone wishing to address the Committee.
County
Councillor Heather Garnett declared a personal interest in respect of the
following application in relation to her being a member of English Heritage.
115.
FULL PLANNING APPLICATION (C2/06/01616/CCC)
ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT FOR THE EXTRACTION OF SAND AND GRAVEL
AND MODIFICATION OF CONDITION 2 OF PLANNING PERMISSION REF: C2/92/500/53, LADY
BRIDGE FARM, THORNBOROUGH
CONSIDERED –
The Report of the Corporate Director – Business and
Environmental Services in respect of a revised planning application,
accompanied by an Environmental Statement, for the extraction of sand and
gravel and variation of condition 2 of planning permission ref: C2/92/500/53 at
Lady Bridge Farm, Thornborough.
The report outlined that a previous application
submitted under reference C2/92/500/53A had been refused in February 2006 as
contrary to the Policies of the North Yorkshire Minerals Local Plan, on grounds
of unacceptable adverse impact on nationally important archaeological remains,
and the site, not being within a preferred area, area of search or constituting
a small scale extension. An appeal had
been lodged against the refusal of the planning permission by the applicant
company.
Discussions had been held with Officers of the County
Council and English Heritage in respect of this issue and this revised application,
had been submitted by the applicant under reference C2/06/01616/CCC.
Full details of the proposals were outlined to the
Committee.
Detailed objections from the Friends of Thornborough
Henges were outlined within the report and an additional list of objections,
including legal advice that had been sought on behalf of the Group, in respect
of the application, had been submitted to Members prior to the meeting.
Details of additional conditions requested by the
Environment Agency, in relation to the application, had also been circulated to
Members prior to the meeting.
Mr John Lowry, representing the Friends of
Thornborough Henges, outlined the objections on behalf of the Group.
Bob Nicholson, representing the applicants, Tarmac
Limited, spoke in favour of the application, together with a representative of
Consultant Archaeologist.
Details of the application in relation to the
archaeological aspect of the proposal and mineral extraction, were outlined by
the appropriate representatives of the Corporate Director – Business of
Environmental Services.
A reference was made to condition 10 of the planning
conditions attached to the application, should it be approved, and it was
stated that amendment should be made to the reason for the condition in line
with the details that had been sent out to Members’ prior to the meeting.
RESOLVED –
That planning permission be granted, subject to the
S106 Agreement and the recommended conditions as outlined in the report, with
an amendment to the reason relating to condition 10, which should read as
follows:-
No development shall take place within the application
site until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of
archaeological works in accordance with the written scheme of investigation
submitted by the applicant and approved by the County Planning Authority.
Reason: to ensure that
archaeological remains are preserved by record in accordance with policy 4/8 of
the North Yorkshire County Council Minerals Local Plan;
And, subject to
the inclusion of two additional conditions as recommended by the Environment
Agency, as follows:-
Prior to
commencement of development, a desk study shall be submitted to and approved in
writing by the Local Planning Authority.
The aim of the desk study shall be develop an understanding of the
environmental setting of the site with regard to surface water and ground
water. The study radius shall be 4kms,
to include St Michael’s Well at Well and the scheduled ancient monuments of
Thornborough Henges.
Reason: for the protection of the water
environment.
Prior to commencement
of development a details hydrological and hydrogaelogical risk assessment shall
be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. This document shall interpret the
understanding gain from the desk study and shall have regard for any potential
risks to the broader environment resulting from alterations to the surface or
ground water regimes caused by development.
The assessment should consider ground water – rock interactions such as
gypsum, disillusion within the radius of the study. The assessment radius shall be 4kms to
include St Michael’s Well at Well and the scheduled ancient monuments of
Thornborough Henges.
Reason: for the protection of the water
environment.