Category: 2018

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 31 August 2108 at 10.15 am

Present: Cllrs: E Parsons (Chairman) T MacCaw (Vice Chairman) N Linsley and J Macfarlane

Public:  Mr Mrs Keattch, Mr Durant and Mrs Walters

1. Apologies – Cllrs: I Andrews, M Grant and A Smith

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No:  18/01916/FUL

Applicant: Hopkins Developments Ltd

Location: Land adjoining Corner Farm, Devenish Lane, Bayford, Wincanton.

Proposal: The erection of timber gates (retrospective)

After lengthy discussions between Councillors and parishioners strongly objecting to the developer Applicant’s erection of inappropriate “urban” type and height of fencing of the public footpath, and more recently timber gates across the line of the public footpath, coupled with the current lack of adequate footpath signage to encourage its use, it was decided that the Parish Council should register its agreement with those objections as follows:

1) The Parish Council notes that the Decision Notice dated 25 August 2017 pertaining to Application ref:- 17/02351/S73A is conditioned as follows

 â€œNo building, structure or boundary enclosure shall be erected or the location otherwise obstructed within the annotated hatched area (see the website) applied to approved drawing 

13091/002 received 4 August 2017.

Reason:-  in the interests of visual appearance and to maintain the character of the former cart track further to policy EQ2 of the South Somerset local plan 2002-2028”.

Both the high “urban” style close boarded fencing at the end of the Applicant’s property and the new gateway which have been erected by the Applicant across the line of the public footpath are in breach of that condition.

2) Additionally, the Parish Council will request Highways Group, SSDC, for the benefit of the public,

a) to erect a clear “Public Footpath” sign, not just the small yellow arrow nailed to the current gatepost.

b) to require the Applicant to delineate on the ground the extent (width) of the public footpath.

c) to require the Applicant to revert to a post and rails fence instead of close boarded fencing on the Bayford side of the public footpath, as discussed by the Parish Council last year with the then Case Officer handling the Application, Mr Lee Walton.

d) to confirm that the Applicant has applied (retrospectively) for consent to divert the public footpath to the line it now follows on the ground.

Therefore Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council strongly object to this application.

Chairman………………………………………………………………Date………………………

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 9 February 2018 at 10.00 am

Present:  Cllrs: E Parsons (Chairman) M Grant and I Andrews

1. Apologies – Cllrs: T MacCaw (Vice Chairman) N Linsley and J Macfarlane

    Public: Janet Montgomery and Alison Dixon

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Church Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton. BA9 9PG

Appeal in Respect of Application Decision Reference 17/02462/PAMB

Planning Inspectorate Appeal Reference – APP/R3325/W/18/3192896

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held a site meeting on 9 February 2018. Present also was the applicants agent and one member of the public.

We beg to offer the following comments:

GENERAL

1 We regret the permanent loss of agricultural facilities at a time when imported food is becoming expensive.

2 The access to the site is poor.

SPECIFIC

1 Being a group of non-professional Councillors we cannot give a definitive decision on whether the proposal is a conversion or a new build.

2 However, having said that it does seem that if it be a conversion there will be precious little of the original left.

3 In consequence we oppose this application.

Please confirm receipt of this letter.

Kind regards

Patricia Gillman – Clerk to Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

…………………………………………………………… Date ………………

Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held on 16 November 2018 10.00 am

Present:  Cllrs: E Parsons (Chairman) T MacCaw (Vice Chairman)  N Linsley, J Macfarlane, A Smith, and M Grant.

1. Apologies – None

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No: 18/02838/FUL

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Davis

Location:  Willow Tree Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton. BA9 8NQ

Proposal:  Change of use to sui generis to include agricultural /equestrian and animal rescue charity. The erection of a building for use as a training centre for dog and cat grooming and in association with all elements of the rural enterprise.

Planning Application No: 18/03347/S73

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Davis

Location:  Willow Tree Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton. BA9 8NQ

Proposal:  Application to vary conditions 02 of approval 13/001459/FUL – occupancy.

Decision:

At a site planning meeting on 16 November 2018 Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council made the following observations.

The applicants, Mr and Mrs Davis, are applying for change of use to “sui generis to include agriculture/equestrian and animal rescue charity, and the erection of a building for use as a training centre in association with all elements of the rural enterprise at (Willow Tree Farm, Stoke Trister, BA9 8NQ). 18/03347/S73 They are also asking for the current occupation restriction on the dwelling on the property which is “limited to a person or mainly employed, or last employed, in the locality in agriculture …, or in forestry …, to be altered so as not to restrict occupation by any “rural worker”. 

Stoke Trister with Bayford PC (STWB PC) were told by Mrs Davis that she intended to run a Pet Grooming business and Mr Davis would run a alpaca farming business.

Under South Somerset’s Local Plan 2006-2028 policy EP4 asks the question:- 

1.      Is the business needed in this location and if the nature and volume of traffic generated by the development would have a detrimental impact on the character or amenity of the area and would compromise the safety and/or function of the road network in terms of both volume and type of traffic it would not be allowed.

Willow Tree Farm is sited on a busy A road with a speed limit of 60 mph and with two difficult bends limiting visibility.  

The applicants plan to run as one of the many businesses proposed on this site training courses for up to 30-40 students per year and in addition to employ 2 fulltime staff and 4 volunteers on a daily basis.  

STWB PC do not consider this site suitable for the increased amount of traffic on a busy and dangerous road.  The current owners in their previous application in 2013 received permission for parking 3 cars on site and it stated that they must be able to turn and not reverse onto the main road.  There would be on average eight cars a day and more when the courses proposed by the applicants are running and if this application were approved turning would not be an option and reversing onto the main road would be inevitable and dangerous.

STWB PC do not consider this application qualifies under Policy EP5 Farm diversification.  The previous “alpaca business” conducted at Willow Tree Farm is now defunct, and there is little evidence that alpaca farming nowadays on such a small acreage (approx 4 acres) could be made commercially viable. Pet Grooming on the other hand, which is what Mrs Davis said would be the main enterprise she would be wishing to start at this property, is not considered as agricultural use. The site is situated in a predominantly rural landscape and as such only limited development is allowed.

The new training centre structure envisaged in this application although quoted as being modest in size would be far larger than the existing barn on the site.

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council accordingly unanimously recommends refusal of these applications.

…………………………………………………………… Date ………………

Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 28 September 2018 at 10.00 am

Present: Cllrs: E Parsons (Chairman) A Smith and I Andrews

1. Apologies – Cllrs: T MacCaw, J Macfarlane, N Linsley and M Grant

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No: 18/02145/OUT

Applicant: Mr Shaun Paul

Location:  Land Adj Highbrook, Devenish Lane, Bayford. Wincanton

Proposal:  Outline application for the erection of a two storey detached dwelling with new vehicular access onto Devenish Lane.

Decision:

A site meeting was attempted on 28 September 2018. Access to the site was immediately denied by, we believe, Mrs Paul on the grounds that they are running a business.

We can however say that access is extremely difficult. During the 20 minutes we were there 2 large delivery lorries struggled to get in and out of Highbrook.

We are concerned that this application does not meet Policy SS2 of the Local Plan.

Therefore Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council recommend refusal of this application.

…………………………………………………………… Date ………………

Chairman