Agenda item

Temporary Planning Permission for the siting of a Mobile Farm Shop and Café, creation of a new access and parking (Private Drainage System) on land to the West Side of The Cutthorpe Institute, Main Road, Cutthorpe.

(Planning Manager – Development Management)

The report to Committee explained that an Application had been submitted for Temporary Planning Permission to site a Mobile Farm Shop, along with the creation of new access and parking, at land to the west side of the Cutthorpe Institute, Main Road, Cutthorpe. The Application had been referred to Committee by Ward Member, Councillor M E Thacker MBE, who had raised issues about it.

Committee was recommended to refuse the Application. The report to Committee explained the reasons for this.

Officers had concluded that the proposed Farm Shop / Café building, and the associated car park and infrastructure would represent an unacceptable development. If approved, it would cause significant harm to the Green Belt, impacting upon the openness, both spatially and visually, of the site. This would be contrary to both Local and National Planning Policy, which seek to protect the Green Belt and areas of countryside which contribute to the character of the area from inappropriate and unacceptable development.

Officers also contended that none of the very special circumstances in planning terms, that would justify the Development and outweigh the harm to the Green Belt site, had been identified. Consequently, they recommended that the Application be refused.

Before the Committee considered the Application it heard from A Herrington, who objected to the Application. It also heard from   E Wood and M Langley, the Applicants and D Cooney, the Agent, who spoke in support of the Application. The Committee then heard from D Catton, T Johnstone, A Wood and C Langley, who supported the Application.

Committee considered the Application. It took into account the site’s location within the Green Belt and a primary Area of Multiple Environmental Sensitivity (AMES), within the District’s most valued and protected landscape. 

Committee considered the relevant national and local planning policies. These included Local Plan Policy SS10 on preventing inappropriate development within the Green Belt except in very special circumstances, Local Plan Policy SDC3, requiring new developments not to cause significant harm to the character, quality, distinctiveness or sensitivity of the landscape and Local Plan Policy SS9, requiring acceptable developments to respect the form, scale, and character of the landscape through careful siting, scale, design, and use of materials.  In addition, Committee took into account the relevant policies of the draft Brampton Neighbourhood Plan.

Members discussed the report. They reflected on what impact the development would have on the visual openness of the area. They discussed the time limited period for the Application and the officer conclusion that it would not be an appropriate development given its Green Belt location.

Members considered the proposed access and parking arrangements. They considered what use would be made of the proposed Farm Shop and Café and benefits which they might have, in terms of providing additional facilities for the local community. They heard about the potential benefits of the proposed facility in helping to diversify an existing agricultural holding and in reducing carbon emissions by using locally produced foodstuffs at the Farm Shop / Café.

At the end of the discussion Councillor K Rouse and Councillor T Lacey moved and seconded a motion to refuse the Application. The motion was put to the vote and was agreed.

RESOLVED -

That the Application be refused, in line with officer recommendations.

Reasons

1.            The application site is situated within an area of countryside designated as Green Belt. National and Local Plan Policies pertaining to Green Belt land, identify new buildings as inappropriate development with a few exceptions. Engineering works are likewise inappropriate where they impact openness and Green Belt purposes.

            The proposal seeks to introduce buildings, a car park and associated infrastructure into an area that is currently an undeveloped and open parcel of land.

            The proposed development, by reason of its scale, massing, location and extent, is not considered to represent appropriate development in the Green Belt and it would result in unacceptable encroachment into the countryside eroding both the spatial and visual openness of the Green Belt and conflicting with Green Belt purposes.

            There are not considered any very special circumstances that would outweigh the significant harm caused by way of inappropriateness.

            Therefore, the proposed development would be contrary to Policies SS1 and SS10 of the North East Derbyshire Local Plan, and the NPPF, when read as a whole.

2.            The application site is located within a countryside area, identified as a primary Area of Multiple Environmental Sensitivity. In such locations, both national and local policies seek to ensure development is designed in a manner sensitive to the local landscape and in a way that would conserve and enhance the area. Policies B2, B8 and B9 of the Neighbourhood Plan seek to protect the character of the area, open spaces and dry-stone walls from unacceptable development.

In this case, by reason of the scale, design and siting of the proposed building, the car park and associated infrastructure, the proposed development would unacceptably harm and fail to conserve and enhance the local landscape. Additionally, it would harm the setting of a Local Green Space and lead to the loss of a length of dry-stone wall.

Therefore, the proposed development is considered unacceptable and would be contrary to Policies SS1, SS9, SDC3 and SDC12 of the North East Derbyshire Local Plan, policies B2, B8 and B9 of the Neighbourhood Plan and the NPPF, when read as a whole.