Agenda item

Hotel, public house, wedding venue and early years nursery at Land North East of Allotments, Williamthorpe Road, North Wingfield.

(Planning Manager – Development Management)

The Committee considered an application that had been submitted for a Hotel, public house, wedding venue and early years nursery (Major Development) at Land Northeast of Allotments, Williamthorpe Road, North Wingfield. The application had been referred to Committee by Councillor L Stone, who was in support of the proposal.

The recommendation by officers was to refuse the application. The report to Committee explained the reasons for this.

The report contended that the proposal would result in harm to the interests of sports provision for the residents of Williamthorpe Fields. Additionally, the development would erode the settlement gap between Holmewood and North Wingfield and would result in visual and landscape harm. Officers accepted that the scheme would provide some economic and social benefits, but these were unquantified and the need for a commercial development of this type was unproven. As a result, officers contented that the benefits did not outweigh the harm caused to the sports provision and landscape.

Officers had concluded that the proposal was not in accordance with the whole of the development plan. They recommended, therefore, that the application be refused.

Before the Committee considered the application it heard from the Applicant, Mr D Atkinson, and the Agent, Mr C Reford.

Committee considered the application. It took into account the relevant Local and National Planning Policies. These included Local Plan policies ID10, concerning sports facilities, SDC12, concerning high quality design and place making, and WC5, concerning visitor and tourism development. Committee also considered an objection to the application made by Sports England, on the grounds of unnecessary impact on the provision of sports facilities.

Committee discussed the application. Members considered the impact of the proposal on the settlement gap between Holmewood and North Wingfield, as well as the impact on the provision of football pitches. In this context, Committee agreed that the proposal represented significant harm. Members felt that the scheme was contrary to large portions of the development plan and would represent a bad precedent if it was to be approved. In this context, it was suggested that the report provided a clear recommendation, backed up by planning policy, that should be followed.

At the conclusion of the discussion Councillor L Hartshorne and Councillor W Jones moved and seconded a Motion to refuse the application. The Motion was put to a vote and approved.

RESOLVED –

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

That the final wording of the reasons for refusal be delegated to the Planning Manager (Development Management).

Reasons

1) The development would result in the loss of a football pitch facility required under the conditions of planning permission 17/00269/FL to meet the needs for sports provision arising from the Williamthorpe Fields housing development. There is no alternative proposal put forward that is of equivalent sporting benefit or for which there is a mechanism in place for its delivery and on-going management. The development therefore fails to accord with Local Plan policies SS1, LC1, ID1 and ID10. It is considered that there are no other material considerations of sufficient weight to outweigh this conflict with the Development Plan.

2) The proposal would result in a major development of urban character and appearance within a gap between the settlements of North Wingfield and Holmewood. It would erode the gap, dilute the identity of each settlement and result in visual and landscape harm. As such it would fail to accord with Local Plan policies SS1, LC1, WC5, SDC3 and SDC12. It is considered that there are no other material considerations of sufficient weight to outweigh this conflict with the Development Plan.

Councillor A Cooper left the meeting.