24.1           The evacuation procedure, as noted on the Agenda, was advised to those present.

24.2           Members were reminded that the Council had resolved to introduce a Scheme of Public Speaking at Planning Committee for a 12 month period, starting with the new term of the Council in May 2015, which had therefore commenced with the meeting on 9 June 2015.  The Chairman gave a brief outline of the scheme and the procedure for Planning Committee meetings. 

25.2           Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D T Foyle and R J E Vines.  Councillors Mrs R M Hatton and H A E Turbyfield would be acting as substitutes for the meeting.  

26.1           The Committee’s attention was drawn to the Tewkesbury Borough Council Code of Conduct which was adopted by the Council on 26 June 2012 and took effect from 1 July 2012.

26.2           The following declarations were made:

26.3           There were no further declarations on this occasion.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 4 August 2015.

27.1           The Minutes of the meeting, held on 4 August 2015, copies of which had been circulated, were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman. 

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28.1           The Development Manager submitted a Schedule comprising planning applications and proposals with recommendations thereon.  Copies of this had been circulated to Members as Appendix A to the Agenda for the meeting.  The objections to, support for, and observations upon the various applications as referred to in Appendix 1 attached to these Minutes were presented to the Committee and duly taken into consideration by them prior to decisions being made on those applications.

15/00350/FUL – Lower Stanley Farm, Gretton Fields, Gretton

28.2           The application was for the construction of a ground mounted 4MW solar farm and associated infrastructure including substation, transformer stations, access, roads and fencing.  The Committee had visited the application site on Friday 28 August 2015.

28.3           The Planning Officer referred to the Additional Representations Sheet, attached at Appendix 1, which set out that, following the publication of the Committee papers, 40 additional letters of support had been received based on grounds similar to those already raised.  One further letter of objection had also been received which was not included on the Additional Representations Sheet.  In addition, comments had now been received from Gretton Parish Council which had raised no objection to the application.

28.4           The Chairman invited Mrs Alison Ensor, speaking in support of the application, to address the Committee.  She indicated that she lived in Gretton Fields, directly opposite the site.  She did not often feel moved to speak on planning applications, but she felt very strongly in favour of this proposal and was speaking on behalf of many others who felt the same.  It was easy to think that all opinion was based on house values and ‘nimby-ism’ and that nobody actually cared about the threat which climate change brought to the future generations, however, the high level of community engagement with this scheme had proven otherwise.  Local supporters included a senior planning barrister; the wife of Gretton Parish Council Chairman; the Alstone Parish Council Chairman; several Councillors from Alderton; four bed and breakfast owners who clearly did not feel it would impact local tourism; and over 50 residents from surrounding villages who had written letters of support. She also reiterated that Gretton Parish Council had no objection to the application.  Local residents walked their dogs and rode their horses in the area; they loved the Vale and wanted to conserve it but they disagreed with the Officer recommendation.  The supporters of the application felt that the Officer report had overreacted to the Cotswold Conservation Board’s comments about its impact; had not given any weight to the environmental and community benefits; and had not realised how much local support there was for protecting the landscape by actively doing something to mitigate climate change.  The scheme was well-screened and set back and was not visible from surrounding properties.  The site was close to a haulage yard, overhead pylons and commercial greenhouses which would exist for far longer than this scheme.  It was recognised that it would be visible from some higher points but she would not  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28a

29.1           Attention was drawn to the current appeals and appeal decisions update, circulated at Pages No. 27-31.  Members were asked to consider the current planning and enforcement appeals received and the Communities and Local Government (CLG) appeal decisions issued in July and August 2015.

29.2           It was

RESOLVED          That the current appeals and appeal decisions update be NOTED.

To note those applications which have been identified as being subject to a Committee Site Visit on the Friday prior to the Planning Committee meeting at which they will be considered. 

30.1           Attention was drawn to the Advanced Site Visits briefing, circulated at Page No. 32, which set out those applications that had been identified as ones which would be subject to a Committee Site Visit on the Friday prior to the Planning Committee meeting at which they would be considered.  Members were asked to note the applications included in the briefing.

30.2           It was

RESOLVED          That the Advanced Site Visits briefing be NOTED.