Agenda and draft minutes

The Chairman, Councillor Mrs Spikings welcomed everyone to the meeting.  She advised that the meeting was being recorded and streamed live to You Tube.

She invited the Democratic Services Officer to conduct a roll call to determine attendees.

To receive any apologies for absence and to note any substitutions.

Apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Bone, Crofts (substitute Cllr Long), Patel (substitute Cllr Rose) and Rust (substitute Cllr Ryves).

The Chairman thanked the substitutes for attending the meeting.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting held on 3 April 2023.

The minutes of the meeting held on 3 April 2023 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, Councillor Mrs Spikings.

Please indicate if there are any interests which should be declared.  A declaration of an interest should indicate the nature of the interest (if not already declared on the Register of Interests) and the agenda item to which it relates.  If a disclosable pecuniary interest is declared, the Member should withdraw from the room whilst the matter is discussed.

These declarations apply to all Members present, whether the Member is part of the meeting, attending to speak as a local Member on an item or simply observing the meeting from the public seating area.

Councillor appointed representatives on the Internal Drainage Boards are noted.

The following declarations of interest were made:

Councillors Storey and Long declared that they were Members of Norfolk County Council.

To consider any business, which by reason of special circumstances, the Chairman proposes to accept, under Section 100(b)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act, 1972.

There was no urgent business to report.

Members wishing to speak pursuant to Standing Order 34 should inform the Chairman of their intention to do so and on what items they wish to be heard before a decision on that item is taken.

The following Councillors attended and addressed the Committee in accordance with SO34:

Comments from Cllr Beal were read out for item 8/1(a), Hunstanton / Old Hunstanton

Cllr Kemp               8/1(e)           Wiggenhall St Germans

Cllr Joyce               8/1(e)           Wiggenhall St Germans

To receive any Chairman’s correspondence.

The Chairman reported that any correspondence received had been read and passed to the appropriate officer.

To receive the Schedule of Late Correspondence received since the publication of the agenda.

A copy of late correspondence received after the publication of the agenda, which had been previously circulated, was tabled.  A copy of the agenda would be held for public inspection with a list of background papers.

The Committee is asked to note the Index of Applications.

The Committee noted the Index of Applications.

To consider and determine the attached Schedule of Planning Applications submitted by the Executive Director.

The Committee considered schedules of applications for planning permission submitted by the Executive Director for Planning and Environment (copies of the schedules were published with the agenda). Any changes to the schedules were recorded in the minutes.

RESOLVED: That the application be determined, as set out at (i) – (vii) below, where appropriate, to the conditions and reasons or grounds of refusal, set out in the schedules signed by the Chairman.

(i)              22/000929/FM

Hunstanton / Old Hunstanton:  Land south of Hunstanton Commercial Park and east of Kings Lynn Road:  Development of 61 housing with care apartments, 39 care ready bungalows and 60 residential dwellings together with community facilities and services and associated landscaping, highway works and associated infrastructure:  Lovell Partnerships and Le Strange Estates

Click here to view a recording of this item on You Tube.

The Senior Planner introduced the report and explained that the application proposal sought full planning permission for the development of 61 housing with care apartments, 39 care ready bungalows and 60 residential dwellings together with community facilities and services as well as associated landscaping, highway works and associated infrastructure.

The development would be located on a 5.98ha plot of agricultural land accessed from Kings Lynn Road to the west.  Immediately to the north of the site were commercial buildings and Smithdon High School a Grade II* Listed building.  To the east and south of the site were agricultural fields.  The site was also within close proximity to a Grade II Listed Water Tower to the south-west and the Chapel of St Andrew (a Scheduled Monument and Grade II* Listed Building) to the south-east.

The site was not within but close to the boundary of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  The site was also located within close proximity of the Wash SPA and Norfolk North Coast SPA.

The site comprised of two sites which were allocated for housing with care, general housing and employment within the Site Allocations and Development Management Policies Plan.  This application would merge the two sites together to provide one cohesive development.

The application had been referred to the Committee as it was a major application which raised issues wider than local concern and at the request of Councillor Paul Beal.

The Committee noted the key issues for consideration, when determining the application, as set out in the report.

In accordance with the adopted public speaking protocol, Paul Rawlinson (objecting on behalf of Heacham Parish Council), Iain Hill (supporting on behalf of the applicant), Paula Broadbent (supporting) and Mike Ruston (supporting on behalf of Hunstanton Town Council) addressed the Committee in relation to the application.

In accordance with Standing Order 34, the Democratic Services Officer read out a statement from Councillor P Beal as follows:

My apologies for not attending today as I have a medical appointment.

The reason for calling this in was for two specific reasons.

Firstly, the A149 gets extremely busy in the summer months especially from the entrance to the town roundabout along  ...  view the full minutes text for item PC136:a

To receive the Schedule of Planning Applications determined by the Executive Director.

The Committee received schedules relating to the above.

RESOLVED:   That the reports be noted.