Minutes of the Planning Committee Meeting of 9th February 2010 held at 7.00pm. in the High Hurstwood Village Hall, High Hurstwood.
| Present: Cllrs. Sheard (Chairman), Blandford, Chalmers, Crowe, Dopson, Harding and Rose. Also in attendance Cllr. Downing, WDC Cllr. Buck and Miss B Macklen, Clerk to Buxted Parish Council | |
| Public:2. Dr David Wright and Fiona Thorpe of Buxted Surgery. | |
| 1. | Apologies: Apologies were received and accepted from Cllr. Warner |
| 2. | Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of 26th January 2010 were approved and signed as a correct record by the Chairman. |
| 3. | Declaration of Members Interests in respect of items on this agenda Cllr. Chalmers declared a personal interest in any matter relating to the Ionides Trust land by virtue of being a Member of the Trust. Cllr. Crowe declared a personal interest in item 4.5 on the agenda WD/2010/0174/F Lower Totease Cottage, Framfield Road by virtue of knowing a neighbour to the site and having had previous correspondence with the applicant regarding the adjacent Lower Totease Farm. |
| 4. | Planning Applications Application No. WD/2010/0051/F & WD/2010/0052/LB Location: Chillies East, Chillies Lane, High Hurstwood Description: Conversion of existing main loft area, including the reconstruction of the north dormer and the addition of two small south facing dormers. Applicant: Mr & Mrs D Mills Agent: NPR Associates Recommend Approval – subject to consultation with Conservation and Design Officer. Application No. WD/2010/0083/F Location: Brackenwood, Five Ash Down Description: Proposed ground floor extension and alteration and new roof to form new first floor accommodation Applicant: Mr W Cole Agent: 3-D Architecture No objection Application No. WD/2010/0084/F Location: 28 Littlewood Lane, Buxted Description: Proposed extension to rear of existing double garage Applicant: Mr & Mrs D Tibbs Agent: Real Design Recommend Approval Application No. WD/2010/0132/FR Location: Lower Sleeches Farm, Fowley Lane, High Hurstwood Description: Conversion of agricultural building to form two semi-detached dwellings Applicant: Mr H Cox Agent: Mr B James Recommend Refusal – the Parish Council would reiterate previous comments that the proposal is contrary to the policies of PPS7, the Wealden Local Plan and the Brighton and Hove Structure Plan in respect of its siting within the AONB outside of any development boundary, in an area where strict control and restraint is exercised over the provision of new residential development. The agent has provided a further viability assessment of the existing and proposed uses and concludes that the conversion of the two buildings is the most profitable use of the land as a use for holiday lets is considered to be marginal at best. The Parish Council would not only question where this information has been drawn as it is aware of many successful holiday let businesses in the area, but would also wish to point out that although a conversion to residential use would be more profitable for the applicant, a justification on the basis of profit cannot surely be taken into consideration when the concept of conversion for this purpose is clearly outside of any development plan policies. Moreover the building deemed for conversion is not of any sufficient architectural or historical merit to require saving by conversion. The permission for conversion to holiday lets was made predominantly on the basis of benefit to the locality by encouraging tourism. If it is now deemed by the applicant that this is not sufficiently profitable to justify the expense of conversion then no works should progress. Application No. WD/2010/0174/F Location: Lower Totease Cottage, Framfield Road, Buxted Description: Two storey extension Applicant: Mr N Rideout Agent: Mike Hill – Architectural Services No objection |
| 5. | Any other matters properly notified Dr Wright and Fiona Thorpe kindly attended the meeting following a request by the committee as minuted at the meeting of 26th January 2010. All in attendance discussed the proposals for a new surgery on the Ionides land with all parties agreeing that it is very important that this project has a joined approached with the Ionides Trust, Ryhurst and HOBI group working together on the site as a whole to ensure that a new surgery and hall have the best possible design and siting in order to form a new heart to the village on what is a landmark site. Members of the Parish Council were fully cognoscente of the need to consider the working aspects of the surgery build and restricted budgets that had to be worked with – these were key aspects that will have to be considered in relation to the development of the community hall – but not at the expense of good design that has a sense of place that is appropriate for this landmark site. These were aspects that Ryhurst, their architects and the PCT had been clear on from the outset. To this end, Dr Wright was asked to make contact with the PCT and Ryhurst to ask if they would be willing to meet with the HOBI group’s architect, Simon Barker, so that ideas for the site and its cohesion can be discussed. Furthermore, in order to keep Dr. Wright as informed as possible, he was also invited to attend the next HOBI group meeting, taking place on Monday 22nd February in the Reading Room at 7pm when a draft site masterplan will be discussed. |
| 6. | AnnouncementsNone this meeting. |
| The meeting closed at 7.50p.m. |