Planning Committee

Minutes

HASSOCKS PARISH COUNCIL

Minutes of the PLANNING COMMITTEE Meeting held on Monday 25 September 2023 at 7.30pm in the Parish Centre, Adastra Park, Hassocks

Attendees: Parish Councillors: Cllr Kristian Berggreen, Cllr Carolyn Barton, Cllr Bill Hatton and Cllr Don McBeth.

In Attendance: Deputy Clerk – Tracy Forte.

P23/73 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE. Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Robert Brewer. Absent without apology – Cllr Angus Neil.

P23/74 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST. There were no declarations of interest.

P23/75 MINUTES.

It was RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 September 2023 be signed by the Chair as a true and accurate record of the meeting.

P23/76 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. There were no members of the public present.

P23/77 APPLICATIONS

DM/23/2165 2 St Andrews Place Hassocks West Sussex BN6 9QE Partial garage conversion including new door and window and alterations to the steps down to the garden. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL. The applicant is advised that Government has committed to adopt a ‘Future Buildings Standard’ during 2021 which will change the Building Regulations requirements for alterations and extensions to homes to bring these alterations closer to that of a ‘zero energy building’.  This is supported by Policy 5 ‘Enabling Zero Carbon’ of the Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan which states that proposals that modify existing buildings (including extensions) should seek to maximise the inclusion of energy-saving measures and renewable energy generation.  Energy saving measures include floor, roof and wall insulation, and low u-value windows (which may need to be triple glazed).  These requirements may require amendments to your design which could affect the drawings submitted for planning permission. The applicant may wish to note that alterations that are built to a Nearly Zero Energy standard, are unlikely to need further retrofitting to minimise the carbon emissions that the nation is required to reduce to zero by 2050.  As retrofitting an existing home to be highly energy efficient is more complex than doing so for a new building, applicants may wish to look at the ‘EnerPHit’ standard that the Government is understood to be considering as the applicable “Nearly Zero Energy’ standard in this context, or at the Architypes published by the London Energy Transformation Initiative for u-values for your extension walls, windows etc. and for ventilation and overheating prevention standards to be achieved.

DM/23/2221 Garden Cottage 2A Damian Way Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8BH  Variation of condition no 3 relating to planning application DM/22/3394 – to allow the installation of additional solar PV on the rear elevation. Response: RECOMMEND APPROVAL

DM/23/2372 Land At Wellhouse Lane Burgess Hill West Sussex  Development of up to nine dwellings. Response: RECOMMEND REFUSAL Hassocks Parish Council strongly objects to this application.  This proposed application is on agricultural land outside of the built up area boundaries and is not contiguous with an existing built up area. It intrudes on the countryside and is in the local gap between Keymer/Hassocks and Burgess Hill and there is no safe pedestrian access from the site to local amenities Therefore the application is in conflict with District Plan policies DP6: Settlement Hierarchy, DP12: Protection and Enhancement of Countryside and DP15: New Homes in the Countryside and Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan policies: Policy 1: Local Gap, and Policy 14: Residential development within, and adjoining, the built up area boundary of Hassocks.

Furthermore, the proposed site is immediately adjacent to the boundary of the South Downs National Park and the building of up to nine additional dwellings in this rural area will negatively impact on the visual and special qualities of the Park including Dark Skies.  Hence the application is contrary to District Plan Policies DP18: Setting of the South Downs National Park and DP29: Noise, Air and Light Pollution and Hassocks Neighbourhood Plan Policy 6: Development Proposals affecting the South Downs National Park.

There is also considerable concern over the safety of vehicular access from Wellhouse Lane onto Ockley Lane.  The combination of poor visibility at the access point and the speed at which oncoming traffic travels along Ockley Lane already poses a challenge for vehicles entering and exiting Wellhouse Lane. To potentially double the number of vehicles using this access would increase the risk of an accident significantly.

DM/23/2354 The Warren South Bank Hassocks West Sussex BN6 8JP  Horse Chestnut (T1) – Reduce and rebalance the Chestnut by approximately 30% -Taking 1.5 meters off the height of the Crown and 1 meter off the sides of the Crown. Response: NO OBJECTION.

P23/78 APPLICATIONS FOR DISCHARGE OF PLANNING CONDITIONS.  None.

P23/79 RESOLVED that the observations on the planning issues as agreed above be submitted to the relevant Planning Authority for consideration.

P23/80 PLANNING AUTHORITY DECISION NOTICES

The following decisions were noted:

Application details	Hassocks PC recommendation to Planning Authority	Planning Authority Decision (MSDC/SDNP)
DM/23/2009 22 Church Mead, Hassocks BN6 8BN	Recommend Approval	Permission Granted
DM/23/2005 12 Ewart Close, Hassocks BN6 8FJ	Recommend Approval	Permission Granted
DM/23/1911 2 Parkside, Hassocks BN6 8BL	Recommend Approval	Permission Granted
DM/23/0002 Byanda, Brighton Road, Hassocks	Recommend Refusal	Permission Granted
DM/23/1779 Station Goods Yard, Keymer Road, Hassocks	Deferred to MSDC Tree Officer	Permission Granted

 

Members were invited to note the following applications which had been withdrawn:

DM/23/1829 8 Dale Avenue, Hassocks.

DM/23/1914 6 Bonnywood Road, Hassocks.

P23/81 Urgent Matters at the discretion of the Chairman for noting and/or inclusion on a future agenda.  There were no urgent matters.

P23/82 DATE OF NEXT MEETING. 16 October 2023

There being no other business the Chair closed the meeting at 7.50pm