Stoke Poges Parish Council

Planning Committee - Meeting Minutes

Monday 20th March 2023

Table Of Contents

Introduction

MINUTES OF THE PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING ON 20 MARCH 2023 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, Cllr Knox-Scott and Mr Rawlings

In Attendance: – Mrs J Simmonds (Clerk)

Also Present: – 2 Members of public              

Agenda Items

111/PL/23 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.

Two members of public came to give comments on application PL/23/0282/FA and listen to Parish comments, both raised concerns and asked for the application to be called in. That process was explained.

112/PL/23 Apologies for Absence

APOLOGIES were received from Cllr Crocker and Mr Harris.

113/PL/23 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

114/PL/23 Minutes

RESOLVED to approve the Minutes of the Planning Meeting held on 20 February 2023 which were signed by the Chairman.

115/PL/23 Planning Applications

  1. RESOLVED to approve delegated decisions submitted for Planning Applications for which the response date was prior to this Committee Meeting.   See Appendix 1.
  2. RESOLVED to consider and formulate a response to new Planning Applications received. See Appendix 2. Plus, amended plans for information only.

116/PL/23 Planning Decisions, Enforcements and Appeals.

District Decisions made since the last Planning Committee Meeting.  See Appendix 3.

117/PL/23 Correspondence.

Update on Future Land Sales explanation from officer at County and response from County Councillors. AGREED to take to Full Council and get agreement for the Council to write to the property officer asking for a list of land in the area.

CIL Payments to discuss and decide on system going forward. AGREED to write to the department and ask where all other monies are since 2017 and clarification on what we can spend it on.

118/PL/23 Meeting Equipment

AGREED by all that this method at this meeting trialling using own devices and google earth and one conversation at a time, worked really well and was liked by all around the table. Next month is a trial of the monitor being used by all.

119/PL/23 Neighbourhood Plan

Cllr Carted updated all on the current progress being made. Over 160 houses have been written to under the Heritage policy.

120/PL/23 Exclusion of the Press & Public

Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 RESOLVEDto 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.

121/PL/23 NOTED Outstanding Enforcements See Appendix 4.

122/PL/23 NOTED Next meeting date:  17 April 2023

APPENDIX 1 - DELEGATED DECISIONS

APPENDIX 2 - NEW PLANNING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED

PL/23/0534/HB Focus School, Stoke Poges Campus, School Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4QA.

Listed Building consent for alterations, extension, or demolition of an existing building.

Listed building consent for : 1. Like-for-like replacement of two non-listed gabled roof coverings to Blocks A and C, insulation and membranes, existing tiles are to be reused so there will be no visual impact , 2. New M&E ventilation plant to flat roof of Block B air-handling unit and ductwork, 3. New powder-coated grilles to 1960s Block A and Block C to provide intake and extract air for the air-handing units concealed within the roof voids of these buildings, 4. Like-for-like replacement of all canopies, 5. Stripping off existing M&E fittings from the facades [lights, CCTV cameras] and a careful replacement with new, 6. Additional repairs to brickwork and stone on Victorian building, 7. Listed windows are to be carefully repaired and redecorated, 8.Replacement of the insulation and membrane on the flat roof, 9. Like-for-like replacement of two rooflights on the flat roof, 10. Replacement of all floor, wall and ceiling finishes, 11. Replacement of three internal walls within the non-listed parts of the building to make them suitable as fire compartment walls, 12. Replacement of the 1st floor timber dormer window and timber frame [currently boarded up, not visible from ground because at back of the flat roof] to the Victorian building with a maintenance access door to the roof. The dormer structure and tiled roof remains.

Parish Comments:- Object, There is no Historic England report included with this application. This is a Grade II listed building (first listed 26 April 1985)

Historic England – Listed on National Heritage Site

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest

With regards to point 5, we believe that any lighting should be on a timer with planning conditions as this is in the Green Belt, it should be in keeping with buildings in the Green Belt respecting Dark Skies.

PL/23/0282/FA 3 Clevehurst Close, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4EP.

Demolition of existing property, erection of detached dwelling with basement, and formation of additional vehicular access.

Parish Comments:- Object.  Policy EP3 (a), (b), (c), (d) & (e) apply.  

We are concerned that the applicant has not submitted a Basement Impact Assessment or any information in relation to ecology and the water table and how it will impact on other surrounding properties.

The proposed development, by virtue of a combination of its size, scale, massing, style and proximity to the sites flank boundaries, would appear over dominant, obtrusive and out of keeping, as well as appearing as a cramped overdevelopment of the site. As such, it would have an adverse impact on the street scene and the character and visual amenities of the area. Therefore the proposal is contrary to policies H9 and EP3 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (adopted March 1999), and policy CP8 of the South Bucks Core Strategy (adopted February 2011), and the NPPF. The replacement house as proposed is shown to be a large and bulky building, aggressively symmetrical and monolithic in appearance. The neo-Georgian detailing would appear out of place in this semi rural area.Furthermore, the proposed development would not reflect the form or height of existing buildings on this designated semi rural road which is to the detriment of the appearance and character of the street scene, therefore contrary to the content of the South Bucks Townscape Character Study. We believe this development is contrary to  section 3.3 of this document which describes houses in this setting as being generally asymmetrical and informal, a description which perfectly fits the style of homes in our road. The introduction of a highly formal, symmetrical structure, does not therefore meet the characteristics recommended by the Townscape Study 

  • It is not in scale with and will dominate and overwhelm the surrounding properties.
  • It’s overbearing and dwarfs not only the properties either side but all other houses in the road
  • It does not fit into the street scene and from a design perspective neither respects nor harmonises with other homes in Clevehurst Close.  

The character and amenity of the rear gardens of number 1A & particularly number 5 are massively compromised

We would like to mention the basement which covers nearly 5000 square feet and over which we have particular concern namely; 

  • The potential damage to neighbouring properties due to the installation of driven or vibrated sheet piling.
  • The method of dewatering and the means of disposing of the pumped ground water particularly since Clevehurst Close is drained using soakaways which would not cope with the outflow from dewatering pumps.
  • The risk of flooding. This part of Stoke Poges is very close to Stoke Common (SSSI) and it is acknowledged generally that the water table is very high in this area.

PL/23/0611/TP 99 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4LP.

T2 Lawson cypress – fell; G8 cherry and oak – fell cherry; G14 laurel – fell; G15 saplings – fell. (SBDC TPO 15 of 1993)

Parish Comments:- Object. Insufficient and accurate information’s been submitted with the application and therefore it is not possible for the Parish Council or the Planning Authority to assess properly the merits of the proposal. As such, the drawings are incomplete and the impacts of the proposed works cannot be properly assessed.

The application has already removed many trees and greenery at this property without permission.

It is considered that these trees do not pose a significant risk of harm and the application to fell them has not been properly justified.  The tree’s have amenity and ecological value and their retention is justified.  To fell the tree’s would therefore be contrary to policy L10 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (adopted March 1999).

The proposal negates the objectives of a Tree Preservation Order. The trees are still considered to be in good condition and the size or juxtaposition to dwelling is not sufficient reason to justify proposed works and until these tree’s significantly decline in condition they should be retained. The trees form an important amenity feature which makes a positive contribution to the local landscape. It is therefore considered that the proposed removal of these protected trees is unacceptable and contrary to Policy L10 of the South Bucks District Council Local Plan (Adopted March 1999)

Even the applicants own Arboricultural Report agrees that the trees should remain as below:-

PL/23/0716/KA 99 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4LP

G12 cypress – fell, T13 sycamore – fell (Stoke Poges West End Conservation Area) PL/23/0055/FA

Parish Comments:-  Object, same comments as application above PL/23/0611          

PL/23/0635/TP Thames Water Reservoir, Collum Green Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire

G1 oaks – crown lift to 5.5m above ground level (SBDC TPO 6 of 1993)

Parish Comments:-  No objection subject to the Tree Officer report.

PL/23/0699/VRC Focus School Stoke Poges Campus, School Lane, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4QA

Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of appeal decision on PL/19/3143/FA (Erection of a multi-purpose space and ancillary rooms, removal of existing modular classrooms, creation of a new footpath link with Khalsa Academy, creation of temporary construction access on School Lane and related landscaping, SUDS and other drainage works and associated works to 6 no. TPO trees) to allow additional repairs to the building fabric, insulation of existing roofs and detailed proposals for the plant and services and accompanying minor changes.

Parish Comments:- The committee have struggled to understand what the Variation actually is, and are therefore unable to comment.

PL/23/0664/FA Stoke Park Ltd, Stoke Park House, Park Road, Stoke Poges, Bucks

Installation of security gate and associated works (Retrospective)

Parish Comments:- Object.  This proposal, if permitted would be likely to act as a precursor of further applications for similar types of development within this part of the Greenbelt, which the Planning Authority would find increasingly difficult to resist and which, cumulatively, would seriously prejudice the openness of the Greenbelt and the aims and objectives of Greenbelt policy.

By way of design, in the context of the sites surroundings, the proposed gates would adversely affect the character and amenities of the street scene and the locality in general, and would fail to respond positively to the features of the site itself and the surrounding context.  The proposal would therefore fail to comply with policies EP3 and H9 of the South Bucks District Local Plan (adopted March 1999) as well as CP8 of the South Bucks Core Strategy Development Plan Document and would be contrary to the above provisions of the Local Plan, NPPF and National Design Guide.

The proposed gates, if permitted, would result in a visually intrusive road-side feature that would appear prominent in the street scene, the predominant existing roadside features of which are mostly soft vegetative boundaries rather than formal engineered structures.  This would have an urbanising impact on the locality and would have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the street scene.  As such it is considered that this element of the proposal is contrary to policy EP3 of the SBD local plan.

PL/23/0660/TP Anand, Fir Tree Avenue, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4NN.

T1 beech – fell; T2 oak – prune two lowest branches extending to west and south west, to reduce in length by 3-4m, pruning back to appropriate growth points; T3 beech – fell (TPO/SBDC/2003/20)

Parish Comments:- No Objection subject to the Tree Officer report.

PLANS FOR INFORMATION ONLY

Pl/23/0507/EU Moonraker, Park Road, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4PJ

Lawful development certificate for an existing use or operation or activity including those in breach of a planning condition:- Certificate of lawfulness for existing outbuildings for the care and rehabilitation of small animals including reptiles, marsupials, flightless birds and small mammals

The Council has received an application for the development described above. This is not a planning application, but an application that seeks to demonstrate that the use or the building works, as described above, are “lawful”. The applicant must show that the ‘use’ that is the subject of the application has been continuous for more than 10 years or that the ‘building works’ the subject of the application have been substantially complete for more than 4 years, prior to the date of the application. If you have any personal knowledge of how long the use has been carried on and whether the character of the use has changed at all, or, in the case of building works, when those works were completed, the Council would like to hear from you. As this is not a planning application, I must emphasise that the Council is not considering the planning merits of the case. The Council therefore cannot take into account in determining this type of application, whether the use or the building work the subject of the application is, or is not, acceptable, it is purely a legal judgement based on the evidence.

Parish Comments:- Object, this house was built int 2012 and until it was sold in 2022 is was used solely as a residential home with no additional outbuildings, internal fencing or lighting, and certainly no storage or housing of animals.  Animals have only been there since May 2022.

AMENDED PLANS

TREE PRESERVATION ORDER

NOTED

APPENDIX 3 - PLANNING DECISIONS

PL/22/3464/FA 99 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4LP.

Flat green roofed double garage with associated works and retaining walls.

Parish Comments: – Object.  Police C1 (a) & (b), H13 (c), (d) & (f) and CP9 Biodiversity all apply.

Herby Permits

PL/22/4222/FA 16 Wakefield Crescent, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4DF.

Erection of front extension, side facing dormer over existing garage, single storey side and rear extensions and first floor rear extension with internal alterations.

Parish Comments: – No Comment

WITHDRAWN

PL/23/0055/FA 42 Rogers Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4LF.

Single storey rear extension attached side outbuilding, relocation of entrance to front elevation with new porch canopy and changes to windows and doors.

Parish Comments: – No Comment

Hereby Permits

PL/23/0036/FA 16 Home Farm Way, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL3 6NZ.

Single storey front and rear and first floor side extensions, an additional door to side elevation, removal of existing cladding and replace with vertical hanging tiles to match existing property, changes to windows and doors.

Parish Comments: No Comment.

Herby Permits

PL/22/3954/FA 7 Hazell Way, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4BN.

Demolition of detached side garage, erection of single storey side and first floor rear extensions.

Parish Comments: – No Comment.

Herby Permits

PL/22/4135/FA 1 Pennylets Green, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4BU.

Part two, part single storey rear and side and front porch extensions.

Parish Comments: – No Comment

WITHDRAWN

PL/23/0132/FA Pattroyan, Farthing Green Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4JJ.

First floor side extension and roof to match ground floor and conversion of existing garage to a living space.

Parish Comments: – Object.  This property has already exceeded the Green Belt 50% rules; therefore, this extension will greatly exceed them further.

Hereby Refuses Permission.

PL/22/4264/FA The Copse, West End Lane, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL2 4NA

Erection of a 4-bedroom detached dwelling with integral garage.

Parish Comments: – Object Policy EP3 (a) & (b) Applies.  Overdevelopment of site.

Hereby Refused Permission.

PL/23/3790/FA Land adjacent to The Plough Inn, Wexham Street, Stoke Poges, Bucks, SL3 6NJ.

Two pairs of semi-detached houses with vehicular and pedestrian access.

Parish Comments: – Object this is not in keeping with the surrounding area, they are in the curtilage of a listed building being The Plough Inn Public House and Old Cottage which are Grade II listed, there is also a war memorial nearby which is also Grade II listed.  These are not compatible in the street scene and are over dominant.  Policies H9 (a) & (b) and EP3 apply.

WITHDRAWN

Meeting ended at 9.04pm