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
