12/1113M-The use of Land as a Private Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Site Comprising 3 Mobile Homes, 3 Touring Caravans and Associated Hardstandings, Land off Spinks Lane, Pickmere for Messrs Felix, Thomas and Mikey Doran
Meeting: 01/08/2012 - Strategic Planning Board (Item 35)
PDF 360 KBTo consider the above application.
Minutes:
Consideration was given to the above application.
(Councillor S Wilkinson, the Ward Councillor, Mr Shore, Chairman of Pickmere Parish Council and Mr Tarrant, Representing PARG (Pickmere Area Residents’ Association) attended the meeting and spoke in respect of the application).
(Note: Councillor S Wilkinson left the meeting once he had spoken and did not return to the meeting).
RESOLVED
That for the reasons set out in the report that the application be refused for the following reasons:-
1. The site lies within the North Cheshire Green Belt as defined by the Development Plan. The proposed development is inappropriate development in the Green Belt, which should only be approved in very special circumstances. The development causes significant harm to the openness and visual amenity of the Green Belt and does not accord with the purposes of including land within the Green Belt. It is not considered that the material considerations advanced by the applicant in favour of the proposal amount to very special circumstances that would clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness, loss of openness, encroachment and visual intrusion. As such the proposal is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework and Planning Policy for Traveller Sites.
2. The development is a visually intrusive, prominent and incongruous form of development that seriously damages the character, appearance, tranquillity and biodiversity of the site and surrounding open countryside. It is not considered that conditions could be applied that would overcome this harm. The development is therefore contrary to policies Macclesfield Borough Local Plan policies NE11, DC8 and DC31 and policies DP1 and DP7 of the North West of England Plan Regional Spatial Strategy to 2021.
3. The proposal is contrary to the interests of highway safety by reason of inadequate visibility at the point of access from Spinks Lane onto Pickmere Lane. The number of turning movements into and out of the site that would result from the development would result in an increased danger to other road users on the highway network in the vicinity of the site and in particularly to users of Pickmere Lane. Approval of the development would therefore be contrary to advice in policy DP5 of the North West of England Plan Regional Spatial Strategy to 2021, policies DC6 and DC31 of the Macclesfield Borough Local Plan, and policy HOU6 of the Cheshire 2016: Structure Plan Alteration.