Agenda item

Location: 2019/0901/FUL - Field View, Wistow Road, Selby

Proposal: Retrospective change of use of land to garden land, siting of a static caravan and laying of hardstanding

The matter had been brought to the Chief Executive for consideration under urgency as directed by the Head of Planning due to the level of objection. It was also noted that Ward Councillor J. Shaw-Wright had called the application in, should Officers be minded to approve the application.

The Chief Executive noted that the application was for the retrospective change of use of land to garden land, siting a static caravan and laying of hardstanding.

Officers explained that the water harvesting tank element of the application had been removed, as no details of this had been supplied when the application was submitted and that the application area was mostly outside development limits and in the open countryside.

As part of the decision-making process Members had been consulted on the application. These comments were collated and presented to the Chief Executive as part of the decision making. Comments had been received from some Members of the Planning Committee and the Ward Members.

The Chief Executive noted that comments from Members expressed their support for the Officer’s recommendation of refusal. Members had stated that the road near the application site was restricted to 30mph, yet vehicles often travelled above the speed limit, and that there was also a sharp bend just before the site. Members had also commented that should the water harvesting tank turn out to be a septic tank, the applicant would have to contact the Internal Drainage Board for permission to connect to the nearby water course.

The Solicitor and other Officers confirmed that they had no further comments on the application.

The Chief Executive, having considered the report and representations from Members and Officers in full, confirmed that she would support the Officer’s recommendation to refuse permission.

RESOLVED:

That the application be REFUSED for the following reasons:

1. The proposed development significantly encroaches into open countryside, where in accordance with the overall Spatial Development Strategy for the District, development will be restricted to the replacement or extension of existing buildings, the re-use of buildings preferably for employment purposes, and well-designed new buildings of an appropriate scale, which would contribute towards and improve the local economy and communities, in accordance with Policy SP13; or meet rural affordable housing need (which meets the provisions of Policy SP10), or other special circumstances. The proposal does not comprise any of the types of development that are acceptable in principle under Policy SP2A (c) of the Core Strategy and therefore the proposal is unacceptable in principle and contrary to Policy SP2A (c) of the Selby District Core Strategy and hence the overall Spatial Development Strategy for the District.

2. The application site provides the entrance to the settlement where the countryside meets the residential urban form. The proposed change of use to domestic garden land and the siting of a static caravan in this location, would be harmful to this character, particularly due to the open nature of the site and views from Wistow Road. The caravan would create an incongruous feature in the landscape by virtue of its sitting, scale and appearance and the proposal would visibly encroach the residential character into the countryside and relate poorly to the remainder of the residential character along Wistow Road. The proposal would have a significant detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area and fails to comply with Policies ENV1 (1), (4) and (5) of the Selby District Local Plan, and Policies SP18 and SP19 of the Core Strategy and paragraph 127 - 130 of the NPPF as the proposal would not add to the overall quality of the area or be sympathetic to local character.