Category: Planning & Minutes

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 21 September 2018 at 10.00 am

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

1. Apologies – Cllr Mr Grant

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No: 18/01991/FUL

Applicant: Mr Chris Bellars

Location:  Land at Sycamore Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton. BA9 9PE

Proposal:  The conversion of existing domestic storage building into a single dwelling and the erection of a car port.

We recommend refusal of this application since the applicant has not demonstrated that the proposal would meet the requirement of SS2 in the local plan. However, we understand that the barn conversion proposed would be for family use only and we would be sympathetic to this if a new application was made for conversion ancillary to the existing property.

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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.

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Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held on 14 December 2018 at 10.00 am

Present:  Cllrs: E Parsons, N Linsley, J Macfarlane, M Grant and M Summerfield.

Public: Mr Shane Scammell and Mr Stephen Way.

1. Apologies – Cllrs: T MacCaw and A Smith.

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No:  18/03668/FUL

Applicant: Mr & Mrs Shane Scammell

Location:  Riding Gate Cottage, Riding Gate, Stoke Trister, Wincanton. BA9 8NQ

Proposal:  Conversion of barn to dwelling.

Decision:

At a Site meeting at the above application Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council made no objections to the initial application as it complies with the NPPF regulations regarding rural development. Councillors would however like to see the immediate area in front of the property softened with some gentle landscaping.

Councillors noted a barn within the curtilage owned by the applicant is being used as an extension to his business premises in Bennett’s Field Garages by doing mot testing. We would be concerned if there were plans to increase the workload at this site. 

Councillors also noted a static caravan on the site which seemed well established with a small garden on the site and we question whether conditional on this caravan being removed once the habitation certificate has been granted.

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Chaired by Cllr N Linsley

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.

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Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 16 November 2018 at 10.30 am

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

1. Apologies – None

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No: 18/03272/FUL

Applicant: Hopkins Estates Ltd

Location:  Land OS 3969 Part Devenish Lane, Bayford, Wincanton

Proposal:  The erection of three dwellings with ancillary works and new access.

Decision:

With reference to planning application 18/032772 on Land 0S3969 Part, Devenish Lane, Bayford for the erection of 3 dwellings with ancillary works and new access.

The site is on a narrow single track lane which according to local residents already suffers traffic stress on a regular basis from large delivery vehicles with no passing bays (other than by pulling into other residents front drives) and the only turning place being at the end of this no through lane.  Local residents report that they already frequently have to back up as a result of meeting other traffic in the lane, and we would therefore challenge the assertions in the applicants’ Planning Statement  that “The probability of two vehicles using the narrowest section of Devenish Lane at the same time is 1 in 289” and that “There are at least 5 passing places where in the unlikely event two vehicles meet travelling in the opposite direction.”

Contrary to what is stated in the Planning Statement for this application the site is NOT within the boundary of the market town of Wincanton so all references on pages 11-24 of the planning statement are irrelevant.  The land is in the rural settlement of Stoke Trister with Bayford where different housing criteria apply.  

The development plan which applies to this application is one of a rural settlement (South Somerset Local Plan (2006-2028).  The policy most relevant to this application is:-

SS2 which states that developments will be strictly controlled and limited to that which:-

1. Provides employment opportunities appropriate to the scale of the settlement, and/or
2.  Creates or enhances community facilities and services to serve the settlement and/or
3. Meets identified housing need, particularly for affordable housing.

This application fails to fulfil any of the above requirements.

Moreover the scale and design of the proposed dwellings are totally inappropriate in our rural settlement.

We also note that the recent Wincanton town plan which was adopted by referendum earlier in the year, and has been independently verified by an impartial planning inspector and has been formally adopted by SSDC, clearly states the direction of growth should be away from Bayford not towards it.

In an Appeal Decision APP/R3325/W/17/3180025 Land OS 1200, Bayford Hill dated 9th January 2018 the Inspector appointed by The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government dismissed the developer’s appeal stating “Notwithstanding that LP Policy SS5 provides for the consideration of housing proposals adjacent to the development area, the proposed development would conflict with LP Policies SS1 and SS2”. 

We would also maintain that it is not the responsibility of Stoke Trister with Bayford parish (STWB) to fulfil the wider housing needs of the district but only to fulfil the housing needs sufficient to sustain its rural settlement.

Further, we would contend that as Policy SS2 relates to the sustainable development of rural settlements not the wider housing needs of the district, it does NOT necessarily become “out of date” with the rest of the Local Plan.

In view of the above, and in particular having regard to the fact that the development is clearly within the parish of Stoke Trister with Bayford and therefore the criteria that should be applied are those for rural settlements, the unanimous opinion of the Parish Council was to recommend refusal of this planning application.  The boundary between Stoke Trister with Bayford and Wincanton should not be blurred.

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Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council  held on 2 November 2018 at 10.00 am

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

Public: Dr R Jones

Clerk Patricia Gillman

1. Apologies – None

2. Declarations of Interest – Cllr: MacCaw

3. Planning 

Planning Application No: 18/03422/COU

Applicant: Dr Robert Jones

Location: The Vale Centre, Manor Farm, Stoke Trister, Wincanton.

Proposal: The change of use of premises from cake making business (Use Class B1) to a photographic studio, sales and presentation, tuition and design.

Decision:

At an onsite Planning Meeting it was agreed that there was no objection to this application on the understanding that any future expansion in the business should be reviewed.

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Chairman 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council

Minutes of a Site Planning Meeting of 

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish Council held 31 August 2018 at 10.00 am

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

Public: Martin Mckenna

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

2. Declarations of Interest – None

3. Planning 

Planning Application No:  18/02228/FUL

Applicant: Mr Martin Mckenna

Location: The Well House, Bayford Wincanton.

Proposal: Alterations to change the pitch of the roof at the rear of the property and erection of a single storey side extension to create a sun/living room.

Decision:

Stoke Trister with Bayford Parish  Council has no objections to this application as it will make a good improvement.

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Chairman 

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

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Chairman