Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence and notification of substitutions.

The following apologies were received:

Councillor Brian Bolt substituted by Councillor Lance Duddridge.

Councillor Brian Smedley

Councillor Ben Ferguson joined online

To approve the minutes from 14 January 2025 as well as the two meetings held on 10 December 2024 at 10AM and 2PM.

The minutes of the previous meetings held on 14 January 2025 as well as the two meetings held on 10 December 2024 at 10AM and 2PM were proposed by Councillor Pauline Ham to be a true record and seconded by Councillor Matthew Martin.

To receive and note any declarations of interests in respect of any matters included on the agenda for consideration at this meeting.

(The other registrable interests of Councillors of Somerset Council, arising from membership of City, Town or Parish Councils and other Local Authorities will automatically be recorded in the minutes: City, Town & Parish Twin Hatters - Somerset Councillors 2023 )

Councillor Alistair Hendry declared an Other Registrable interest as a member of the Axe Brue Internal Drainage Board but had not taken part in any discussions.

Councillor Lance Duddridge declared an Other Registrable interest as a member of the Parrett and Tone Internal Drainage Board.

Councillor Bob Filmer declared an Other Registrable interest as a member of the Axe Brue Internal Drainage Board but had not taken part in any discussions.

Councillor Bob Filmer also declared a Registrable Interest in planning application 06/22/00017 as Ward Member of Brean, he sent in a note of request for the application to come to committee and he was open minded and not predetermined.

Councillor Tony Grimes also declared a Registrable Interest in planning application 06/22/00017 as Ward Member of Brean, he sent in a note of request for the application to come to committee and he was open minded and not predetermined.

Councillor Alan Bradford declared an Other Registrable interest as a member of the Parrett and Tone Internal Drainage Board.

The Chair to advise the Committee of any items on which members of the public have requested to speak and advise those members of the public present of the details of the Council’s public participation scheme.

For those members of the public who have submitted any questions or statements, please note, a three-minute time limit applies to each speaker.

We are now live webcasting most of our committee meetings and you are welcome to view and listen to the discussion. The link to each webcast will be available on the meeting webpage, please see details under ‘click here to join online meeting’.

Requests to speak at the meeting under Public Question Time must be made to democraticservicesnorth@somerset.gov.uk  by 5pm on the Wednesday prior to the meeting.  For those wishing to speak on an application, requests must be made by 5pm on the Thursday prior to the meeting.

Details of public speaking are captured under the minutes of the appropriate application.

Erection of 1no. dwelling with integral double garage, formation of new access and landscaping.

Resolved to go against Officers’ recommendation to refuse and instead GRANT planning permission with Officers given delegated authority to draft and agree the conditions which must include that the property be tied to the operation of the holiday park.

The Committee were presented with the application by way of a PowerPoint presentation. The Planning Officer updated the committee explaining that the application was for the erection of 1no. dwelling with integral double garage, formation of new access and landscaping and highlighted:

·      That this was a principle development of a 5-bedroom dwelling with open-plan kitchen, dining room, lounge and garage.

·      It would be a traditional brick design.

·      There would be new vehicle access to Western Rd and fields to the north.

·      The impact on flood risk

·      Highway safety

·      Residential amenity

·      Design and character of the area

·      Ecology

·      The site was outside settlement and tourism boundaries, and did not comply with infill (CO2) and self-build (D9) policies or CO2 and D9, but policy D10 might apply.

Next Chris Harris, from Warren Farm Holiday Center spoke in support of the application. He highlighted:

·      The proposed dwelling was for his brother, who currently lives with their family, causing a lack of privacy and space.

·      The new dwelling would be at the back of the holiday park, on the edge of the tourism boundary, for security reasons.

·      The Parish Council and neighbouring property owners support the application, with no objections noted.

·      Other locations within the caravan park were considered but deemed impractical.

·      The applicant and his brother needed to live on-site to manage the holiday park, which served 5000 customers and employed 100 staff.

·      They handle various emergencies and maintenance tasks, which requires them to be on call 24/7.

·      The family business was growing and profitable, and the new dwelling was essential for continued service improvement.

Afterwards Alan House from Discover Brean also spoke in support of the application. He highlighted:

·      The Harris family had been in Brean for generations, continuously improving the park.

·      Brean was the second largest caravan resort in the UK, with tourism being a significant part of the local economy.

·      Being on-site was crucial for effective management, as tourism businesses required 24/7 availability.

·      Tourism accounted for 45% of all staying visits in Sedgemoor, with over 2.1 million bed nights in 2022.

·      The site was surrounded by houses and permanent caravans, making it consistent with the area’s character.

·      A new farm track entrance off Western Rd would reduce the need for tractors and farm machinery on Warren Rd, benefiting tourists and residents.

Finally Lyndon Brett, from LBP, Planning Agent representing the Applicant, Mr Harris, spoke and highlighted:

·      The applicant’s brother needed a separate dwelling due to lack of privacy and space in their current shared home.

·      Tourism was crucial for the local economy, and the Harris family has significantly contributed to the community.

·      Local housing options were scarce, expensive, and unsuitable for quick response times.

·      The new dwelling was needed for security and rapid response to incidents at the holiday park.

·      The holiday park was a high-performing business with significant economic contributions.

·      The proposal aligned with local policies and provided essential accommodation for the business.

·      The new farm access from Western Rd would reduce traffic issues on Warren Rd.

After deliberations  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19.

Erection of 4 dwellinghouses with associated access.

Resolved to GRANT planning permission in accordance with the Officer’s Report and additional conditions set out in the Officer presentation, including to retain connectivity of the development to the North via a footway/cycleway to be constructed prior to the occupation of the dwelling and retained in perpetuity.

Before the Planning Officer gave his presentation the Chair read out some correspondence which had been received from a member of the public stating that the original planning application on behalf of the applicant was submitted  by the agent  when he was in the employment of the Council.

The correspondence went on to say that this was a conflict of interest and formally requested that this planning application be deferred until this was investigated further. It also reported that they would be approaching the planning meeting specialist for a full review of this application if it was not deferred so that the matter could be fully reviewed.

The Head of Planning, Allison Blom-Cooper, had responded to this correspondence and her response was read out. The response explained that the agent had not worked within the North area and  was no longer employed by Somerset Council.

The Committee were then presented with the application by way of a PowerPoint presentation. The Planning Officer updated the committee explaining that the application was for the erection of 4 dwellinghouses with associated access. He highlighted:

·      That the houses would be arranged around a central courtyard with parking and turning areas, using improved access from Rhode Lane.

·      The reason for Committee Review was that the Town Council objected, citing the site was outside the local plan, specifically referencing policy B5. However, now the application has been amended to comply with policy B5.

·      That the site was outside the development boundary but within the allocated area for housing development.

·      The development was within the existing housing allocation and was considered acceptable in principle. The design and layout were in keeping with the adjacent estate and would not negatively impact the surrounding area.

·      The current plan did not provide vehicular access to Willstock, Stockmore, or the wider B5 allocation. However,  the applicant had committed to providing pedestrian and cycle access once the B5 allocation progressed further.

·      The main Considerations were:

o    Impact on flood risk

o    Highway safety

o    Residential amenity

o    Design and character of the area

o    Ecology

Next Councillor Alan Bradford, from North Petherton Ward, spoke and highlighted:

·      That the development met all criteria and aligned well with the existing Willstock area.

·      There was an objection 18 months ago, mainly concerning traffic on Rhode Lane, but he saw no issue with road usage.

·      The landscaping enhanced the area, and the development was spacious and fitted well with the surroundings.

·      He supported the application and urged the committee to approve it.

Afterwards, the Agent, Russell Williams from Williams Planning Ltd spoke on behalf of the Applicant. He highlighted:

·      The proposal had only a minor conflict with policy B5 regarding access from Rhode Lane, intended to prevent wider housing allocation access from this road.

·      There was future pedestrian and cycle connection planned.

·      There were few vehicle movements expected and there were no objections from highway authority or ward councillors.

·      These would be well-designed family homes with landscaping and screening to enhance biodiversity and fit  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

The Committee noted the reports as detailed within the agenda for the Appeals Received and the Appeal Decision for February 2025.