Planning Committee - Meeting Minutes
Monday 17th February 2025
Table Of Contents
Introduction
MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING ON 17 FEBRUARY 2025 AT 7.30PM IN THE LIONEL RIGBY ROOM AT THE VILLAGE CENTRE, ROGERS LANE, STOKE POGES, SL2 4LP.
Present: Cllr Carter (Chair), Cllr Bassi, Cllr Finan, Mr Harris and Mr Wilson.
Also Present: Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)
Agenda Items
113/PL/25 Items by Members of Public Present.
The meeting is open to the public and press and the first 15 minutes will be reserved, if required, for public comment on items on this agenda only.
None
114/PL/25 Apologies for Absence
Apologies were RECEIVED and ACCEPTED for Cllr Crocker, RESOLVED to agree unanimously.
115/PL/25 Declarations of Interest
Members to declare any personal interest in any item of business as defined in the Code of Conduct 2007. If that interest is a prejudicial interest as defined in the Code, the member should withdraw from the meeting for that item.
None
116/PL/25 Minutes
RESOLVED all in favour to Approve the Minutes of the Planning Meeting held on 20 January 2025 which were signed by the Chairman.
117/PL/25 Planning Applications
(i) RESOLVED to approve delegated decisions submitted for Planning Applications for which the response date was prior to this Committee Meeting. See Appendix 1.
(ii) RESOLVED to consider and formulate a response to new Planning Applications received. See Appendix 2. Plus, amended plans for information only.
118/PL/25 NOTED Planning Decisions, Enforcements and Appeals.
District Decisions made since the last Planning Committee Meeting. See Appendix 3.
119/PL/25 Councillors/Members Update
Updates were given on Rotherfield, Clevehurst Close and Top Cottage.
120PL/25 Correspondence.
None
121/PL/25 Neighbourhood Plan
Update was given, Examiner has replied, now waiting for Buckinghamshire Council to respond.
122/PL/25 Exclusion of the Press & Public
Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 RESOLVED to exclude the press and public from the following business because publicity would prejudice the public interest by reason of the confidential nature of the business. Part two items: To discuss any possible unlawful buildings or business’s which have not been granted enforcement notices and therefore are not public.
123/PL/25 NOTED Outstanding Enforcements See Appendix 4.
124/PL/25 NOTED Next meeting date: 17 March 2025
Meeting ended at 9.02pm
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 2
NEW PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED
PL/24/3921/VRC Home Farm Barn , School Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4QA
Variation of condition 4 of planning permission PL/23/3693/FA (Part retrospective extension of residential garden; and accompanying soft landscaping; erection of 1.8m high timber fence; alterations to existing boundary treatment to provide timber gate with brick posts; formation of hardstanding to form 'in and out' driveway.) to extend time frames by an additional 3 months for compliance and condition approval of submitted landscaping plan.
Parish Comments: Object, we feel that this has been under Enforcement for over two years and that this is not acceptable, no special or valid reasons or circumstances have been given to allow an extension of time especially in this sensitive Green Belt area.
PL/24/3920/VRC 105 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4LP
Variation of condition 17 (approved plans) of planning permission PL/22/3599/FA (Two storey dwelling with detached single storey garage to front and outbuilding to rear) to allow for internal/external layout changes and amendments to windows and outbuilding.
Parish Comments: No Comment.
PL/25/0054/FA West Tradesman Cottage, Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4PG
Change of use of building from dwelling (Use Class C3) to office (Use Class E) in association with Stoke Park.
Parish Comments: Object, The applicants planners refer to there being no Neighbourhood Plan or no emerging Neighbourhood Plan when in fact there is a plan in process and has been since 2023, almost at Referendum stage and we refer you to it below, we also feel this would act as a precursor for other smaller properties to be turned into offices.
We would like to draw your attention to the Stoke Poges Design and Guidance Codes of the Neighbourhood Plan September 2023. Page 26 Policy SP4, loss of smaller stock housing.
This has now been completed via regulation 14. Which can be found on our website via this link.
4. Decision-making
48. Local planning authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to:
(a) the stage of preparation of the emerging plan (the more advanced its preparation, the greater the weight that may be given).
(b) the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and
c) the degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to this Framework (the closer the policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given).
PL/25/0125/FA 1 Plough Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4JR
Replacement single storey rear extension.
Parish Comments: Object Policy GB1 applies. The application states that the current extensions are at 57% of the original dwelling and this would take it to 65% and we object under the 50% Green Belt rules. There is no demonstration of any special circumstances shown, and this will be turning a 3-bedroom house into a 6-bedroom house which we object to.
We would like to draw your attention to the Stoke Poges Design and Guidance Codes of the Neighbourhood Plan September 2023. LB03, LB04 and LB05.
This has now been completed via regulation 14. Which can be found on our website via this link.
4. Decision-making
48. Local planning authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to:
(a) the stage of preparation of the emerging plan (the more advanced its preparation, the greater the weight that may be given).
(b) the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and
c) the degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to this Framework (the closer the policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given).
PL/25/0229/TP The Nonsense House, West End Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4NE
T1 beech - crown lift 3 main boughs; T2 oak - crown lift 3 main boughs on lowest levels; T3 beech - fell; T4 oak - crown lift 1 main bough. trim back 2 small upper boughs overhanging house; T5 oak - fell; T6 oak- remove one main lower bough overhanging drive and T7 willow - remove fallen boughs. (TPO/SBDC/1988/07).
Parish Comments: Object due to the lack of information with the application to justify trimming or felling the trees so we are unable comment. T1 & T3 look to be outside of the property.
PL/25/0152/FA Moonraker, Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4PJ
Part-retrospective application for the installation of a waterfowl pond and associated enclosure, single-storey sunken plant room and associated landscaping.
Parish Comments: Object. Policies GB1 g (1), (2), (3), EP3, EP4 and H13 all apply, also the NPPF page 127 & 130. The existing structure is highly visible from the road and does not sit in the street scene and is within the Green Belt, other structures on site must exceed 50% GB rules.
It was unanimously approved to discuss with the planning officer and if necessary and time allows to engage our consultants to look into this one.
AMENDED PLANS
PLANS FOR INFORMATION ONLY
TREE PRESEERVATION ORDER
APPENDIX 3
PLANNING DECISIONS
PL/23/2716/FA Yew Tree Cottage, Wexham Street, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL3 6NB.
Severance of detached building for use as a self-contained residential dwelling (retrospective) and formation of additional parking.
Parish Comments: - Object Policies H12 & H13 (a) both apply to the building before it was built. The previous reasons on your decision notice for previous application PL/20/0886/FA still apply which were: -
1. The application site is located within the Metropolitan Green Belt wherein there is a general presumption against inappropriate development except in very special circumstances. The proposed conversion of the existing residential outbuilding, into a self-contained dwellinghouse, and use of the surrounding land as a separate residential curtilage would cause harm to the openness of the Green Belt and the purposes of including land within it by virtue of the increase in the density of housing, and the associated siting of domestic paraphernalia, permanent boundary treatments, and an increase in the intensity at which the site would be used, including vehicular movements and the parking of vehicles at the site. As such, the proposal constitutes inappropriate development within the Green Belt, which by definition is harmful. No very special circumstances have been advanced sufficient to warrant an exception to the normal operation of Green Belt policy. As such the proposal is contrary to policies GB1 and GB2 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (adopted March 1999) and section 13 (Protecting Green Belt Land) of the NPPF.
2. The creation of small independent dwelling would appear out of keeping with the prevailing character in this location. By virtue of its constrained plot size, density and form the proposed unit of residential accommodation cannot be considered compatible with the scale and generally spacious pattern of development in this rural location. The associated amenity space to the front of the dwelling is also considered to be positioned in an exposed location without reasonable privacy and would be substandard quality residential amenity space. The proposed development would adversely affect the character of the area and constitute poor design thus failing to meet the aspiration of the NPPF for the creation of well-designed places. As such, the proposal would adversely impact upon this existing character and appearance of the area, contrary to policies EP3 and H9 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (Adopted March 1999) refer) and Chapter 12 of the NPPF (2019).
3. The proposed development would result in an intensification of use of an existing access at a point where visibility is substandard and would lead to danger and inconvenience to people using it and to highway users in general. The development is therefore contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework, Buckinghamshire Council Local Transport Plan 4 (adopted April 2016) and the Buckinghamshire Council Highways Development Management Guidance document (adopted July 2018).
4. The applicant is not able to provide adequate provision for a satisfactory turning space within the site. The resultant reversing of vehicles onto or off of the highway would lead to conditions of danger and inconvenience to other highway users. The development is therefore contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework, Buckinghamshire Council Local Transport Plan 4 (adopted April 2016), the Buckinghamshire Council Buckinghamshire Countywide Parking Guidance Policy (adopted September 2015) and the Buckinghamshire Council Highways Development Management Guidance document (adopted July 2018).
5. The occupants of the proposal would add to the recreational disturbance of the Burnham Beeches Special Area of Conservation as the proposal would not contribute satisfactorily to mitigate its impacts in this respect. In the absence of a planning obligation to secure suitable strategic access management and monitoring, to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority, the proposal is contrary to Core Policy 9 of the Core Strategy and Section 15 of the NPPF
Hereby Refuse Permission.
PL/24/3619/TP Riding for The Disabled Association, Framewood Road, Stoke Poges, SL2 4QR
T1 oak - fell to ground level, T2 and T3 oak - raising of the crown by no more than 20%. (TPO/BCC/1949/07).
Parish Comments: - No Comment
Subject to the Tree Officers report.
Consent Granted.
PL/24/3780/FA 41 Vine Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4DW
Two storey side, single storey rear and front extensions and conversion of existing garage to living space.
Parish Comments: Object.
The proposed development by reason of its poor architectural design, rationale and layout would result in a visually discordant development which would fail to provide a high-quality design that would appear appropriate within the character and scale of the surrounding area. The proposal would therefore constitute a poor form of development which fails to take the opportunity to contribute positively to making places better for people and would be detrimental to the character and appearance of the site and immediate and wider area. As such the proposal is contrary to policies EP3 and H9 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (adopted March 1999), policy CP8 of the South Bucks Core Strategy (adopted February 2011) and would fail to accord with the design aspirations of part 12 of the National Planning policy Framework, and Part 2 of the National Design Guide.
The proposed extensions would result in the creation of a large, bulky and unattractive structure of excessive depth, with flank walls unrelieved by any setbacks, and with a large expanse of flat roof at high level. The extended dwelling would be lacking in pleasing proportions and would fail to respect the traditional character of the existing dwelling. The excessive depth of the extended building and the unbroken flank elevations would be apparent in angled views from the road and would result in an unduly bulky appearance that would be at odds with the traditional proportions of the existing dwelling and would be out of keeping with the general character of this residential area. In terms of design and scale, the proposed extensions and alterations cannot be considered to accord with the principles set out in policies EP3 and H11 of the South Bucks District Local Plan, and the standard of design would not comply with advice in Appendix 8 of the Plan. The development would therefore not be in accordance with guidance set out in the NPPF (2019).
If minded to approve this is likely to act as a precursor to similar applications which the local authority would find it difficult to refuse.
We would like to draw your attention to the Stoke Poges Design and Guidance Codes of the Neighbourhood Plan September 2023. Page 74 LB04 Housing Mix.
This has now been completed via regulation 14. Which can be found on our website via this link.
4. Decision-making
48. Local planning authorities may give weight to relevant policies in emerging plans according to:
(a) the stage of preparation of the emerging plan (the more advanced its preparation, the greater the weight that may be given).
(b) the extent to which there are unresolved objections to relevant policies (the less significant the unresolved objections, the greater the weight that may be given); and
c) the degree of consistency of the relevant policies in the emerging plan to this Framework (the closer the policies in the emerging plan to the policies in the Framework, the greater the weight that may be given).
Hereby Permits
PL/24/3835/FA Cherry Tree Cottage, Hockley Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4Q
Conversion of integral garage to form a habitable area.
Parish Comments: - No Comment
Herby Permits