Agenda item

Erection of 8 no. fishing yurts and timber platforms with ancillary facilities blocks, reception block and improvements to existing access road and car park.

Erection of 8 no. fishing yurts and timber platforms with ancillary facilities blocks, reception block and improvements to existing access road and car park.

 

A site visit had been held on Saturday 15 August 2015 which had been attended by Councillors D Birch, Brossard, Dudley, Finnie, Mrs Hayes, Hill, Ms Peacey and Thompson.

 

The Committee noted:

 

• The supplementary report of the Head of Planning tabled at the meeting.
• Sandhurst Town Council’s objections to the proposals on the following grounds:

- The mass and scale of the proposed yurts creates a visual impact

- The siting of the reception block and extended carpark in close proximity to the boundary is detrimental to the resident's privacy and amenity.

- Should the application be granted then a condition is requested ensuring that a public right of way is installed along the River Blackwater.

• 12 objections received objecting to the proposal on the following grounds:

- The planning proposal would be a complete change of use to an unregulated campsite

- Proposal would be contrary to Policy EN10 as the proposal would harm the open, rural or undeveloped character of this site.

- The proposal would be detrimental to the amenities of the residents of Belfry Mews.

- Additional traffic and people visiting the site will generate additional noise and nuisance

- The proposed reception block will become a gathering point and as a result will become a centre of noise and nuisance. The reception block should be moved away from the boundary with the properties on Belfry Mews. (Officer Comment: revised plans have been received amending the siting of this block)

- This proposal if approved may contravene legislation to protect noise and nuisance.

- The existing car park is already oversubscribed with 25-30 vehicles parked there at the weekends.

- Fishermen urinate around the car park in view of the properties.

- Currently there is no height/weight restriction in place allowing for large commercial vehicles to enter the site. 

- No mention has been made of waste or recycling facilities

- Blackwater Valley is a protected conservation area for wildlife and this application will have detrimental effect on the protection and enhancements of wildlife.

- Proposal is located within Flood Zones 2 and 3 which could adversely affect adjacent areas.

- The yurts will reduce the swims available for existing users of the club.

- Opening up the footpath will reduce the security of the site.

- No restrictions on the fishing lakes are being proposed. 

- The current site is not adequately managed at the moment so why should this application change things?

- The amended reception block position does not overcome initial concerns raised.

 

RESOLVED that the application be APPROVED subject to the following conditions:-

 

01.     The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.   

         

02.     The development hereby permitted shall be carried out only in accordance with the following approved plans and other submitted details received by the Local Planning Authority:    

              

          PL-104 Received 01.07.2015     

          PL-101-B Received 01.07.2015 

          Barrell Plan Ref: 13109-BT2 received 12.06.2015        

          Flood Risk Assessment - 27237/001/001 received 12.06.2015 

          PL- 100 (Site location plan) received 12.06.2015

          PL-202 (Ancillary Fishing Accommodation Proposed Floor Plans and Elevations (Facilities Block)) Received 12.06.2015      

          PL-102 (Yurt F Block 1,2) Received 12.06.2015

          PL-200 (Fishing Yurt and Platform) Received 12.06.2015        

          PL-103 (Yurt 2, 3) Received 12.06.2015

          PL-105 (Yurt 8 annd F. Block 2) Received 12.06.2015 

          PL-201 (Reception Block) Received 12.06.2015

          PL-401 (Reception block - Elevations) 12.06.2015        

          PL-101-C (Proposed Site Plan) received 29.07.2015    

         

03.     Prior to the commencement of development, the external materials to be used on the yurts, admin block and facilities block shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The proposal shall be implemented in accordance with the approved materials.     

         

04.     The yurts hereby approved shall be occupied only by members of the fishing club in possession of a current yearly membership, and shall not be occupied by any individual person for any period exceeding 4 consecutive nights. Starting from the date of first use, a record of all occupiers shall be kept within a log book(s). The Log book(s) will be kept within the reception block, shown on plan PL-101-C received 29.07.2015 and log books for the preceding 5 years shall be made available for inspection at the request of officers of the Local Planning Authority during office hours.             

 

05.     The yurts hereby approved shall not be occupied by a person or persons as a residence.

         

06.     No yurts shall be occupied until a scheme depicting hard and soft landscaping has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The scheme shall include a 3 year post planting maintenance schedule.   

          All planting comprised in the soft landscaping works shall be carried out and completed in full accordance with the approved scheme, in the nearest planting season (1st October to 31st March inclusive) to the completion of the development or prior to the occupation of any part of the approved development, whichever is sooner. All hard landscaping works shall be carried and completed prior to the occupation of any part of the approved development. As a minimum, the quality of all hard and soft landscape works shall be carried out in accordance with British Standard 4428:1989 'Code Of practice For General Landscape Operations' or any subsequent revision. All trees and other plants included within the approved details shall be healthy, well formed specimens of a minimum quality that is compatible with British Standard 3936:1992 (Part 1) 'Specifications For Trees & Shrubs' and British Standard 4043 (where applicable) or any subsequent revision. Any trees or other plants which within a period of 5 years from the completion of the development, die, are removed, uprooted, are significantly damaged, become diseased or deformed, shall be replaced during the nearest planting season (1st October to 31st March inclusive) with others of the same size, species and quality as approved.

 

07.     Prior to the commencement of development, an invasive non-native species protocol shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority, detailing the containment, control and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and Indian Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) on site. The measures shall be carried out strictly in accordance with the approved scheme.        

         

08.     No development shall take place (including ground works and vegetation clearance) until a construction environmental management plan (CEMP: Biodiversity) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The CEMP (Biodiversity) shall include the following:

          a) Risk assessment of potentially damaging development activities     

          b) identification of "biodiversity protection zones"

          c) practical measures (both physical measures and sensitive working practices) to avoid or reduce impacts during development (may be provided as a set of method statements)          

          d) the location and timing of sensitive works to avoid harm to biodiversity features

          e) the times during development when specialist ecologists need to be present on site to oversee works    

          f) responsible persons and lines of communication       

          g) the role and responsibilities on site of an ecological clerk of works or similarly competent person  

          h) the use of protective fences, exclusion barriers and warning signs  

          The approved CEMP (Biodiversity) shall be adhered to and implemented throughout the development period strictly in accordance with the approved details. 

         

09.     No site clearance shall take place during the main bird-nesting period of 1st March to 31st August inclusive, unless a scheme to minimise the impact on nesting birds during the construction of the development has been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority. The proposed development shall be implemented in accordance with the approved scheme.           

         

10.     No yurt shall be occupied until details of the vehicle parking and turning space have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The approved parking areas shall be surfaced and marked out in accordance with the approved drawing prior to the occupation of the first yurt. The spaces shall thereafter be kept available for parking at all times.          

         

11.     The development permitted by this planning permission shall be carried out in accordance with the approved Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) reference 27237/001 Revision A, dated March 2015 and prepared by Peter Brett Associates, drawing number PL-101-B dated September 2012 and the following mitigation measures detailed within the FRA:    

          o   8 Yurts to be located within flood zone 1 as shown in drawing number PL-101-B dated September 2012.       

          o   Identification and provision of safe route(s) into and out of the site to an appropriate safe haven by locating the yurts in Flood Zone 1 as shown in drawing no. 27237/001/001 - Rev B dated 10 May 2013.     

          The mitigation measures shall be fully implemented prior to occupation and maintained as such for the life time of the development.

 

12.  No construction or ground clearance shall take place until a survey for otters has been conducted. If otter holts or other otter refuge sites are found to be present, a plan detailing the protection and/or mitigation of damage to them, and/or prevention of disturbance of otters occupying them, should be submitted to and agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be undertaken in accordance with the approved details.

 

13.    The development shall not be occupied until a scheme for the provision of bird and bat boxes (and other biodiversity enhancements), including a plan or drawing showing the location of these enhancements, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

The approved scheme shall be complied with.

 

14.    Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 or any Order revoking and re-enacting that order, no external lighting shall be installed on the site or affixed to any buildings on the site except in accordance with details set out in a lighting design strategy for biodiversity that has first been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The strategy shall:

a)identify those area/features on site that are particularly sensitive for bats and that are likely to cause disturbance in or around their breeding sites and resting places or along important routes used to access key areas of their territory, for example, for foraging; and

b)show how and where external lighting will be installed (through the provision of appropriate lighting contour plans and technical specifications) so that it can be clearly demonstrated that areas to be lit will not disturb or prevent bats using their territory or having access to their breeding sites and resting places.

All external lighting shall be installed in accordance with the specifications and locations set out in the strategy, and these shall be maintained thereafter in accordance with the strategy. Under no circumstances should any other external lighting be installed without prior consent from the local planning authority.