Agenda item

Prior approval for siting and appearance of 14.8m high monopole with 2 no. associated equipment cabinets

Prior Approval for Siting and Appearance of 14.8m High Monopole with 2 No. Associated Equipment Cabinets

Consideration was given to the report of the Principal Planning Officer (Durham Area) which recommended approval of the application.

The Principal Planning Officer gave a detailed presentation on the main issues outlined in the report, which included photographs of the site. Members had visited the site that day and were familiar with the location and setting.

Members were advised that the consultation period had not yet expired. To date a total of 13 objections had been received and Environmental Health had offered no objections to the proposal. One of the two objections received following the report being published asked why the mast could not be moved 100m to the east, however this site had been discounted on technical grounds.

Barbara Howarth, Belmont Parish Council stated that the proposed mast would be situated on an important tree-lined route into Durham City, which was increasingly being influenced by industrial development. If approved the Parish Council was concerned that this would encourage retailers to make application to advertise along that length of road. She agreed with the comments of the Council’s Arboricultural Officer with regard to the potential impact on trees from the mast’s foundations and cabinet, and the Parish Council was of the view that alternative sites should be explored further. 

Councillor K Holroyd supported the views of the Parish Council expressing his concern with regard to the appearance of the mast along this route into the City, and also commented that an earlier application had been refused which was located only 400 yards away from the application site.

Councillor Southwell, local Member stated that alternative sites had been explored but were unsuitable. Residents views should be taken into account but he had received only one e-mail in relation to this application. Therefore he felt that the level of concern expressed regarding this mast should be balanced against the customer demand for a quality service.

In deliberating the application Members were advised that the Committee was only able to consider siting and appearance of the mast. The Principal Planning Officer provided Members with technical information about the extensive services provided by masts and explained that to ensure maximum coverage they needed to be located close to residential development. The location of the proposed mast was considered to have an acceptable impact on both the visual amenity of the surrounding area and the residential amenity of neighbouring residents.

RESOLVED

That prior approval of the application be granted subject to:-

(i)                 no new material considerations being raised by the expiry of the consultation period;

(ii)               or should any new material objections be received by the expiry of the consultation period delegation be granted to the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee to determine the application.  

Prior to consideration of the following application Councillor J Bailey left the meeting and Councillors J Brown, A Laing and J Robinson left during the discussion.