Planning Committee

Agenda

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

To:   All Members of the Planning Committee (Cllrs Jane Baker, Kristian Berggreen, Robert Brewer, Leslie Campbell, Bill Hatton, Claire Tester and Nick Owens) with copies to all other Councillors for information.

A virtual meeting of the PLANNING COMMITTEE will be held on Monday 26 October 2020 at 7.30pm.

Parish Clerk  20 October 2020

AGENDA

1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Disclosure by Councillors of personal and/or pecuniary interests in matters on the agenda and whether the Councillors regard their interest as prejudicial/pecuniary under the terms of the Code of Conduct.

3. Minutes.  To accept Minutes of the Meeting held on Monday 5 October 2020 (previously circulated)

4. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

5. APPLICATIONS (copies of each application can be viewed online via the
Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) Website –
https://pa.midsussex.gov.uk/online-applications/

5.1      DM/20/2682 Woodsland Road Bridge Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8EU (Amended description and plans 28/09/2020) Cut out roots and make good brickwork including repointing and brick replacements. Cast new concrete foundations continuing from the stone block foundations. Form new concrete wall to the north east and south east abutments and banks. Replacing handrails on both sides and metal post.

5.2      DM/20/3585 42 Lodge Lane Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LX T5 English Oak – See tree report.

5.3      DM/20/3225 27 Fir Tree Way Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8BU Retention of tree house structure on a raised platform.

5.4      DM/20/3676 55 Lodge Lane Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LU Beech tree (. Fagus sylvatica ‘F Purpurea’) – Severe prune or fell.

5.5      DM/20/3728 4 Priory Road Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8PS Proposed porch to front elevation.

5.6      DM/20/3756 31 Dale Avenue Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LP Demolition of existing garage and conservatory. Single storey side and rear extension with decking.

5.7      DM/20/3839 4 Flowers Close Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8FF Oak (T1) cut back low limb by up to 3 metres. Group of two Ash (G2) reduce limbs x 2 between Oak (T1) and footpath by 2 metres on garden side, and top. Ash (T3) limb by no 1. Flowers Close, reduce back by 4 metres, and remove low branches.

5.8      DM/20/3353 20 Ockenden Way Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8HS Proposed porch and 2 dormers to front and ground floor and dormer extensions to the rear. Amended plans received 19.10.2020.

6. APPLICATIONS FOR DISCHARGE OF PLANNING CONDITIONS. None

7. DECISION NOTICES

 8. Urgent Matters at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.

9. Date of Next Meeting: Monday 16 November 2020 at 7.30pm

Please Note
All members of the public are welcome to attend to attend meetings of the Parish Council and its Committees.
Item 4 – a period of 15 minutes will be set aside for the public statements and questions relating to the published non-confidential business of the Meeting.  It may be necessary to consider particular items in confidential session and where this arises, these items will be considered at the end of the agenda.
If you wish to attend this virtual meeting please email info@hassocks-pc.gov.uk before 9.00 hrs on the day of the meeting to be sent an electronic invitation by 12.00 noon on that same day.

FILMING, RECORDING OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
During this meeting members of the public may film or record the Committee and officers from the public area only providing it does not disrupt the meeting. The Confidential section of the meeting may not be filmed or recorded. If a member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) filming must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted but members of the public are requested to switch their mobile devices to silent for the duration of the meeting.

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the Planning Committee Meeting held virtually on
Monday 26 October 2020 at 7.30pm

Attendees:  Parish Councillors: Jane Baker, Kristian Berggreen, Robert Brewer, Bill Hatton, Nick Owens (Chair) and Claire Tester.

In Attendance: Deputy Clerk: Tracy Forte

P20/86           APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.  Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Leslie Campbell.

P20/87           DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. There were no declarations of interest.

P20/88           MINUTES.   It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 5 October 2020, be signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

P20/89           PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. There were no members of the public present.

P20/90           APPLICATIONS           

DM/20/2682 Woodsland Road Bridge Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8EU (Amended description and plans 28/09/2020) Cut out roots and make good brickwork including repointing and brick replacements. Cast new concrete foundations continuing from the stone block foundations. Form new concrete wall to the north east and south east abutments and banks. Replacing handrails on both sides and metal post.  Response: RECOMMEND REFUSAL.  Whilst Hassocks Parish Council supports the proposed improvements to the bridge in principle, it cannot Recommend Approval unless, and until, the following points are addressed:

  1. The applicant has demonstrated that the residents of Woodside Grange have been notified of the potential loss of access to their property.
  2. That the completed bridge will be structurally sufficient to withstand the weight of commercial and service vehicles.
  3. The residents of Woodside Grange will enjoy unrestricted access to their property for commercial and service vehicles, deliveries and visitors.

DM/20/3585 42 Lodge Lane Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LX T5 English Oak – See tree report. Response: RECOMMEND REFUSAL.  The application is to reduce the canopy of this fine, mature (80 year old plus) Oak by 70%, because it is alleged that it is the cause of subsidence cracks in a portion of the house.

  1. The application to reduce the canopy by 70% is in fact a death sentence for this tree, so far in its life, untouched. In effect it might just as well have requested felling.
  2. The Arboricultural Report—commissioned and paid for by the Insurers– states that the tree is 13.9 metres from the house; however it is some 24 metres from the part of the house suffering from cracks. Two fibrous roots, identified as common oak, were found 1.1 metres below the surface just outside the affected area. However, to therefore conclude that it is this oak which is the main cause of the subsidence problem, is not in the Council’s opinion justified. Relevant factors also to consider are:
  3. a) The distance between the tree and the affected part of the house. 24 metres is at the top end of the root spread of a mature oak .It is uphill from the tree to this area and most of the tree’s roots will seek water available in other directions.
  4. b) Soil type in particular should also be considered. This is identified as clay of (as per Engineering Assessment Report) “high shrinkability.” a condition made worse by recent hot dry summers.
  5. The reality, as stated in the Engineering Report, is that drastic treatment to the oak is thought to be the cheapest win, in the short term at least, of dealing with the problem. And so other solutions, such as strengthening the foundations or installing a root barrier, have been discarded without consideration.
  6. This oak is a particularly fine specimen; its monetary value would run to tens of thousands of pounds and any replacement will take 50 years plus to achieve anything like its present amenity value.DM/20/3225 27 Fir Tree Way Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8BU Retention of tree house structure on a raised platform. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

DM/20/3676 55 Lodge Lane Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LU Beech tree (. Fagus sylvatica ‘F Purpurea’) – Severe prune or fell. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL. A replacement tree should be planted.

DM/20/3728 4 Priory Road Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8PS Proposed porch to front elevation. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

DM/20/3756 31 Dale Avenue Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8LP Demolition of existing garage and conservatory. Single storey side and rear extension with decking. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL.

DM/20/3839 4 Flowers Close Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8FF Oak (T1) cut back low limb by up to 3 metres. Group of two Ash (G2) reduce limbs x 2 between Oak (T1) and footpath by 2 metres on garden side, and top. Ash (T3) limb by no 1. Flowers Close, reduce back by 4 metres, and remove low branches. Response: Awaiting Tree Warden’s Report.

DM/20/3353 20 Ockenden Way Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8HS Proposed porch and 2 dormers to front and ground floor and dormer extensions to the rear. Amended plans received 19.10.2020. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL subject to acceptable rainwater management.

P20/91           APPLICATIONS FOR DISCHARGE OF PLANNING CONDITIONS. 

There were no applications for the Discharge of Planning Conditions, however at the Planning Committee meeting held on 14 September 2020 Members discussed the application for the Discharge of Planning Conditions No: 9 and No:18 relating to planning application DM/18/2616/Ful. Site of Hassocks Golf Club London Road Hassocks West Sussex.  The Committee had requested that clarification was sought from Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) of its requirements for a fast charging point prior to the discharge of these conditions by the District, as the level of provision that householders would receive, and its practical convenience and charging times, was unclear.

The Deputy Clerk informed Members that she had sought further clarification from MSDC and shared the response following received from MSDC with the Committee:

The developer has advised the following:

EVCP Locations Supporting Planning Layout 051707-BEL-SL-02 B

  • Proposed electric vehicle charging points 10% provision = 17 plots.

BSL – 2019.10.22 – EV Charging Point Provision Comments

  • Charging capacity per connector – 7.4 kW. The planning condition requires provision of at least 1 EV rapid charge point per 10 residential dwellings, hence allowance for 17 no. charging points as indicated on the site layout i.e. Plots 6, 8, 18, 31, 34, 50, 51, 57, 72, 82, 85, 115, 121, 124, 155, 164 & 165 fitted with 7.4 kW unit.

This level of provision is most welcome, but our District Plan policy (as the Neighbourhood Plan policy) is heavily caveated by the words ‘where viable’ or ‘where feasible’, so it may not always be possible for such provision to be made.

Members noted the information.

P20/92           RESOLVED that the observations on the planning issues as agreed above be submitted to the relevant Planning Authority for consideration.

P20/93           PLANNING AUTHORITY DECISION NOTICES

The following decisions were noted:              

Application details Hassocks PC recommendation to Planning Authority Planning Authority Decision (MSDC/SDNP)
DM/20/3338 1 Woodsland Close, Hassocks BN6 8HF Recommend Approval Permission Granted
DM/20/3191 British Telecom, Telephone Exchange, Windmill Avenue, Hassocks Recommend Approval Permission Granted
DM/20/3330 25 Adastra Avenue, Hassocks BN6 8DP Recommend Approval Permission Granted
DM/20/2205 4 Bonnywood Road, Hassocks BN6 8HR Recommend Approval Permission Granted
DM/20/2995 The Paddock, London Road, Hassocks Recommend Refusal Permission Granted

The following notifications of Certificate of Lawful Use or Development and/or General Permitted Development were noted:

Application details Hassocks PC recommendation to Planning Authority Planning Authority Decision (MSDC/SDNP)
DM/20/3290 13 Windmill Avenue, Hassocks BN6 8LH Noted. Certificate of Lawful development Issued
DM/20/3136 35 Woodsland Road, Hassocks BN6 8HG Noted Certificate of Lawful development Issued

P20/94           Urgent Matters at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.  There were no urgent matters.  

P20/95           DATE OF NEXT MEETING.   Monday 16 November 2020 at 7.30pm.

There being no other business the Chair closed the meeting at 8.25pm.