Councillors and committees

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ashcombe Suite, County Hall, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT1 2DN

Contact: Huma Younis or Emma O'Donnell  Email: huma.younis@surreycc.gov.uk / Email: emma.odonnell@surreycc.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

1/18

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND SUBSTITUTIONS

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    To receive any apologies for absence and notices of substitutions under Standing Order 41.

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    Minutes:

    Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Penny Rivers and Cllr Ernest Mallett.  Cllr Nick Darby substituted for Cllr Ernest Mallett.

2/18

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING pdf icon PDF 277 KB

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    To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 13 December 2017.

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    Minutes:

    The Minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the previous meeting.

3/18

PETITIONS

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    To receive any petitions from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 84 (please see note 7 below).

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    Minutes:

    There were none.

4/18

PUBLIC QUESTION TIME

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    To answer any questions received from local government electors within Surrey in accordance with Standing Order 85 (please see note 8 below).

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    Minutes:

    There were none.

5/18

MEMBERS' QUESTION TIME

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    To answer any questions received from Members of the Council in accordance with Standing Order 68.

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    Minutes:

    There were none.

6/18

DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS

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    All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter

    (i)            Any disclosable pecuniary interests and / or

    (ii)           Other interests arising under the Code of Conduct in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at this meeting

    NOTES:

    ·         Members are reminded that they must not participate in any item where they have a disclosable pecuniary interest

    ·         As well as an interest of the Member, this includes any interest, of which the Member is aware, that relates to the Member’s spouse or civil partner (or any person with whom the Member is living as a spouse or civil partner)

    ·         Members with a significant personal interest may participate in the discussion and vote on that matter unless that interest could be reasonably regarded as prejudicial.

     

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Dr Andrew Povey declared an interest in that he was a trustee of the Surrey Hills Society.

     

    The Chairman explained that the agenda was light as some applications due to be considered by the Committee had been held up as a result of issues outside officers control.

     

7/18

SURREY COUNTY COUNCIL PROPOSAL TA/2018/92 pdf icon PDF 361 KB

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    St Mary’s Junior School, Silkham Road, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0NP

     

    For the construction of two single storey extensions to the two existing classrooms blocks, a new single storey studio block; associated external works including a new path to improve accessibility across the site to link with adjacent Downs Way Infant School; and surface water flood mitigation measures.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Two update sheets were tabled at the meeting.  These are attached to the minutes as Annex 1 and Annex 2.

     

    No members of the public registered to speak on this item.

    The Local Member did not register to speak on this item.

     

    Officers:

    Dawn Horton-Baker, Principal Planning Officer

    Toni Walmsley Macey, Transport Development Planning Officer

    Nicola Downes, Transport Development Planning Officer

    Caroline Smith, Planning Development Manager

    Nancy El-Shatoury, Principal Solicitor

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    1.    The officer introduced the report.  Members were informed that a full educational needs assessment had been submitted alongside the application which demonstrated a clear need for the additional school places in the area.

    2.    The application proposes three extensions to the school to provide an additional four classrooms and a studio space, and formation of a raised earth bund to create a flood storage area.

    3.    Members were informed that ten letters of objection had been received, predominantly raising concerns around increased local traffic and difficulties with access and parking at drop off and pick up times.  It was explained however, as that the impact of increased traffic was confined to short and distinct times of day and not at weekends, this was not considered to be a severe impact to warrant the refusal of planning permission. The officer confirmed that the proposed application would generate an additional 54 car trips in the morning and 44 car trips in the afternoon.

    4.    As the application will require the development of a full travel plan as part of the conditions, it was considered that this was an opportunity to positively influence parental behaviour and to reduce reliance on cars in favour of other modes of transport to school.

    5.    Members stated that the most important aspect of travel plan was to ensure that the school will enforce the plan in the long term.    

    6.    Officers explained how the new online travel plan system allowed for monitoring to be carried out and targets to be set.  However, Members were concerned because the scheme was voluntary, schools would not ensure robustness of the plan.  Members stated that monitoring and enforcement had to be taken seriously by the headteachers, including on-street enforcement and naming and shaming for bad behaviour.

    7.    The Planning Development Manager explained that the Regulation 3 monitoring officer would ensure conditions were being complied with in respect of the council’s own planning applications.  The officer explained that there was a developing issue regarding the enforcement of school travel plans that were part of planning conditions; and that a meeting was scheduled to ensure the correct action was being taken.  The protocol was approved by this Committee in September 2017 and this would be the next step in enforcing such matters.

    8.    A Member highlighted that the report stated that there had been eight personal injuries in the vicinity of the school and questioned the timescale in which these incidents had occurred and whether anything could be learned from these and potentially addressed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7/18

8/18

ENFORCEMENT AND MONITORING UPDATE REPORT pdf icon PDF 272 KB

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    This report provides the Committee with an update on enforcement and monitoring activity covering the period from 1 February 2017 to 28 February 2018.

    Additional documents:

    Minutes:

    Officers:

    Ian Gray, Planning Enforcement Team Leader

    Caroline Smith, Planning Development Manager

    Nancy El-Shatoury, Principal Solicitor

     

    Key points raised during the discussion:

     

    1.    Members commented that there were some costly traveller incursions within Epsom & Ewell and Reigate & Banstead that were not listed in the report despite enforcement action having been taken.  The officer acknowledged the omission and explained that the boroughs and districts had not communicated all incursions to Woking Borough Council who were collating the information following a meeting of the Surrey Chief Executives Group.  Members were encouraged to contact district and borough planning officers and encourage them to submit the required details.

    2.    A Member suggested that the full report be presented to the Police and Crime Commissioner.

    3.    The Planning Enforcement Team Leader presented the report to the Committee in conjunction with some photographs to illustrate the breaches of conditions and corrective measures that had been taken.  The photographs are attached to these minutes as Annex 3.

     

    Action at Authorised Sites

     

    4.    The Planning Enforcement Team Leader drew Members’ attention to an error in the report regarding Moorhouse Sandpit.  The report indicated that the applicant had been fully compliant with the Enforcement Notice (EN), however this was not the case.  There remained some unauthorised development, with a concrete base and bay walls still needing to be removed and lowered respectively.  The Officer explained that this would not be straightforward as the appeal decision required agreement between the operator and the County Planning Authority (CPA) as to the extent of the removal of the concrete base, which was the reason why the EN had been issued in the first place.  It was explained that an EN has to be very specific in what was required and allowed no room for deviation, which is what had since arisen from the Inspector’s decision.  The operator appealed against this step of the appeal decision, but it was not upheld by the courts, meaning the CPA was now required to negotiate with the operator again to achieve compliance.

    5.    Members were informed of a misunderstanding between the operators of Brockham Oil Well in identifying which well heads were which.  It was explained that this was due to the way they were left when they were closed off.  Members raised concern that the applicant will be submitting further applications to committee despite such confusion on existing sites. 

     

    Action at unauthorised sites

     

    6.    The Planning Enforcement Team Leader highlighted the issues at Swift Lane, Bagshot, and Members noted that a Public Inquiry would be taking place in April 2018 at Surrey Heath Borough Council.

     

    Tim Hall left the meeting room at 11:57am and returned at 12:02pm

     

    7.    The officer updated Members on the case of Land at New Pond Farm and showed photos of the site that had now been cleared and returned to grass. Members noted that Guildford Borough Council were still taking action on this site as a number of vehicles had now been moved onto the land.  Previous clearance of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8/18

9/18

APPOINTMENT TO OUTSIDE BODIES: ROYAL SURREY COUNTY HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST COUNCIL OF GOVERNORS pdf icon PDF 135 KB

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    To agree the appointment of a Surrey County Council Member to the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Council of Governors.

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    Minutes:

    The Chairman informed the Committee that Fiona White had withdrawn her intention to stand for this appointment, therefore Matt Furniss was appointed as the Surrey County Council Member representative on the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Council of Governors.

10/18

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

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    The next meeting of the Planning & Regulatory Committee will be held on Wednesday 18 April 2018.

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    Minutes:

    The date of the next meeting was noted.  However, the Chairman highlighted that due to a lack of complete applications coming through the planning system, it was probable that the April meeting would be cancelled and that Members would be notified if this was to be the case.