Agenda and minutes

The Evacuation Procedure was noted.

There were no declarations of interest.

The planning protocol was noted.

Consideration was given to the Planning Committee minutes from the meetings which were held on 15 March and 12 April 2023 for approval and signature.

RESOLVED that the minutes be approved and signed as a correct record by the Chair.

Consideration was given to a retrospective planning application 21/1270/RET for 16-16A Leven Road, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees.

The application site was an end of terrace commercial unit, 16-16A Leven Road, Norton which was located to the east of Norton High Street. The premises lay within both the boundaries of Norton Conservation Area and District Centre.

Planning permission was sought retrospectively for the change of use of the property to a cafe/hot food takeaway to include the installation of a flue, following an enforcement complaint and investigation.

During the course of the application, the applicant and agent had worked with Planning and Environmental Health Officers to agree a satisfactory odour abatement system, which had recently been installed at the site.

The application was referred to planning committee as six letters of objection had been received meaning it fell outside of officer’s scheme of delegation.

The consultees that had been notified and the comments that had been received were detailed within the main report.

Neighbours were notified and the comments received were detailed within the main report.

The planning policies and material planning considerations that were relevant to the consideration of the application were contained within the main report.

The Planning Officers report concluded that the proposed development subject to those conditions recommended within the main report, were considered to adequately mitigate the visual impacts on the character of the area and setting of the listed buildings. Additional measures to reduce odour had also been installed and these were all controlled along with the maintenance/servicing arrangements, ensuring satisfactory levels of residential amenity for surrounding residents.

The proposal was therefore recommended for approval subject to those considerations as detailed within the main report.

The Applicants Agent attended the meeting and was given the opportunity to make representation. His comments could be summarised as follows:

- The principal application was for a change of use and was in line with policy and was the same as others in the area.

- A lot of time had been spent on mitigating against odour and noise with a state-of-the-art filtration system and since installation no complaints had been received.

- The filtration box was a complicated system which would be regularly serviced, and which would be conditioned and maintained by a service management plan.

- All concerns had been mitigated with the main concern being the extraction flue, which had since been changed from a vertical to horizontal flue and was less visible to neighbouring properties.

- It was noted that Highways had not submitted any objections.

Ward Councillor, Councillor Steve Nelson attended the meeting and was given the opportunity to make representation. His comments could be summarised as follows:

- Councillor Nelson informed the Committee that he was speaking on his and Ward Councillor Lisa Evans behalf.

- The issues surrounding the application site had been ongoing for over three years which both Cllrs Evans and Nelson had been involved with matters and concerns which had been raised by residents.

- Several site visits had taken place  ...  view the full minutes text for item P/5/23

Members were asked to consider and note a report that provided Members with an update on the level of housing supply in the Borough based on the 5 years starting from 1 April 2021 (2022 – 2027).

This report provided Members with an update on housing supply and delivery in the Borough. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was clear that the implications of not being able to demonstrate a five-year housing supply or pass the housing delivery test were that the NPPF ‘Presumption in Favour of Sustainable Development’ would apply to planning applications.

The Council adopted the current Local Plan on the 30th January 2019, following an independent examination which identified that the Local Plan was a ‘sound’ document.

The NPPF required Council’s to update the five-year supply annually with updates published since the Local Plan was adopted. Appendix A of the main report included a further assessment which covered the period 2022 – 2027 and identified 5.21 years of housing supply.

The report also identified that the annual report was delayed following the imposition of Nutrient Neutrality and advise from DLUHC on what adjustments may be allowed for the purposes of housing land supply calculations, having not been published. In order to undertake this assessment a review of developments constrained by this issue have been considered and adjusted accordingly.

Government had not published revised Housing Delivery Test results for 2022 as yet following the consultation on planning reforms, and the latest figure remained that for 2021, in which the Housing Delivery Test for the Borough was 185% (a delivery of 2389 dwellings vs a requirement of 1291 dwellings).

Agreed that Members note the report.