Agenda item

Change of use of farmhouse and outbuildings to create multi-functional facility for residential, educational, recreational, offices, training and contact centre purposes, with new access and parking provisions

3/2011/0063 – Change of use of farmhouse and outbuildings to create multi-functional facility for residential, educational, recreational, office, training and contact centre purposes, with new access and parking provisions at Bildershaw Grange, Bildershaw

The Principal Planning Officer (A Caines) presented a report on the above application; the written report was supplemented by a visual presentation which included photographs of the site.It was noted that a site visit had taken place the previous day.

The Committee was addressed by Mr P Ray (Etherley Parish Council), who noted that the Parish Council objected to the application primarily on road safety grounds as the A68 was subject to the national speed limit and carried a lot of traffic, including many HGVs; the property was located just after a bend in the road and the Council was concerned for the safety of people accessing/leaving the property, especially as a number of children would be using the facility.

Mr P Ryman (an objector) then addressed the Committee; he echoed the previous speaker’s concerns about road safety and also queried how many children and  staff would be accommodated at any one time. As the application gave no indication of numbers he wondered whether additional accommodation, perhaps in the form of caravans, would be required. He felt that the development would be in contravention of RSS Policies 7 & 8 (Connectivity & Accessibility and Protection/Enhancement of the Environment). With regard to the current and proposed vehicular accesses to the property, he pointed out that the reference to ‘the most northerly existing access’ should read ‘most southerly’. Mr Ryman cited  problems caused by other developments in the local area and noted that the total of 5 objections actually represented all those likely to be affected in this rural area.

The Committee also heard from Mr J Lavender (applicant’s agent), who claimed that this property was uniquely suitable to the applicant’s needs. The proposed use would not be intensive but would bring together all facets of the organisation. He confirmed that the road safety concerns had been recognised at an early stage and negotiations had resulted in the current proposal. He did not believe that the change of use would impact on neighbours and urged members to approve the application.

The Highways Officer emphasised that the property could be used for a number of things without requiring planning permission – uses that could generate as many or more vehicle movements than the proposed use. He noted that the two existing accesses were not to be used and that the new access would be further from the bend than either of them; he believed that this would be safer than the existing accesses. He referred to current accident statistics for this stretch of road (3 personal injury accidents since 2007), all bar one of which involved single vehicles. He suggested that the safety team would investigate whether a change in the surfacing material for the road might help.

Councillor Hopgood moved that the application be approved subject to the conditions detailed in the officer’s report to the Committee; she was seconded by Councillor Todd.

RESOLVED:

That the application be approved subject to the conditions detailed in the officer’s report to the Committee.