ALBRIGHTON PARISH COUNCIL
PLANNING MEETING
Thursday 2nd October 2008
Minutes of the Planning Meeting held at the Red House on Thursday 2nd October 2008.
PRESENT: Cllrs. P Lusk (Chair), D Beechey (Vice Chair), R Balkwill, G Beechey,
R Blincoe, N Hester, M Holden, P Illes, D Johnson, R Kidson, D Murray, J Nelson,
M Pate, S Pledger.
Public Session:
Mr. K Goodlfellow voiced concerns over the planning application for 10 St. Mary’s Close, Albrighton. He said that there were three issues which were causing disquiet, namely, that notices had not been publicised by Bridgnorth District Council, that the plans seemed to suggest encroachment on to the public footpath between the High Street and St. Mary’s Close and the loss of amenity to the residents of number 11 resulting from the removal of trees and other planting.
Residents in the Talbot Road and Bowling Green Lane area objected to the proposal from Bridgnorth District Council to sell the green area at Bowling Green Lane to Shropshire Rural Housing Association for housing development. Particular issues concerned access to the area and the existing garages, the loss of green space in a village where it was at a premium and the poor level of consultation. These misgivings were shared by many Councillors.
Cllr. Hester suggested that the Council might wish to consider a second public session after the presentation on the doctors’ surgery so that residents’ views could be heard. Members agreed to this request.
Cllr S Pate.
Cllr Nelson declared a personal interest in items 3 & 9 as he was a Governor at St. Mary’s School, a trustee of the nursery and his parents owned a property in Shaw Lane.
Cllr. M Pate declared a personal interest in items 3 & 9 as his wife was a Governor of St. Mary’s School.
Dr. MacDonald and his colleagues made a presentation to the Council on their proposals for the redevelopment and relocation of the surgery in Shaw Lane. They wished to provide a high quality local service, overcome the current problems of space, parking and access. The new building should be able to provide new services such as minor operations, physiotherapy, CAB and ultrasound and could provide an improved teaching practice. Funding for a new surgery was now high on the PCT waiting list and it was not anticipated that private finance would be needed as had been the case in other local projects.
Dr MacDonald said that the proposal was for a 1450 sq. mtr. building on two storeys with car parking for up to eighty cars. The building should be as close to the centre of the village as possible which led the practice to recommend a site next to the old smithy on Kingswood Road, Albrighton. This had the additional advantage of being on the bus routes. There were no plans for an expansion to the patient base, a polyclinic and no plans for a pharmacy. If outline planning could be agreed in the near future building could start in the spring of 2010 and the surgery could open in the spring of 2011.
At this point the Chairman adjourned the meeting and opened up the debate to the public in a second public session.
Cllr Kidson was pleased that the suggestion for the new surgery was to be at the Kingswood Road end of Shaw Lane and believed that the play area would also be better located. It would also help to take traffic away from the school.
Cllr. Hester argued for further investigation into other possible sites and reminded Council that Newhouse Lane was actively considered in the recent past. He was aware that the area was in the green belt but he felt that all possibilities should be thoroughly vetted before a decision was made. Other Councillors were concerned that the opportunity for a new surgery could be lost if delays in approval of a new site were made. In response to a question from a member of the public Dr. MacDonald said that the decision to relocate will be made on the basis of a transaction between the surgery and the landowners and be subject to planning regulations. The existing property in Shaw Lane would probably be sold for residential development.
The Chairman called the meeting to order and declared the public session to be at an end. Cllr. Pate moved that the Council should support the doctors’ proposal for a new surgery at the Kingswood Road end of the new development east of Shaw Lane which was seconded by Cllr. D Beechey
Cllr. Hester proposed an amendment that the decision should be deferred until it could be established whether another site closer to the village centre might be available. The amendment was seconded by Cllr. Holden but was defeated by a vote of 7 against and 4 in favour.
The Chairman returned to the original proposal which was carried unopposed.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to RPS Consultants informing them of a change of Council policy with regard to the options proposed for the development east of Shaw Lane. The original support for option 3 was now withdrawn in favour of an option which located the new surgery at the Kingswood Road end of the development adjacent to the old smithy.
Councillors were in agreement that full discussion was needed before any development could be considered and a recognition that earlier plans had been made before the proposed development east of Shaw Lane had been formulated. Cllr. Pate felt that the white land in the east of the village would make a better site for much needed social housing and Cllr. G Beechey voiced a widely held view that the access to the proposed development at Talbot Road/Bowling Green Lane was very restricted. Cllr. D Beechey also felt that the single page letter from Bridgnorth District Council to residents in the area about the possible sale of the land was inept.
Cllr. Pate moved that the Council should defer consideration of this issue until a full consultation with local people had been completed, either by Bridgnorth District Council or Shropshire Rural Housing Association and the Council should inform both organisations that it was appalled at the level and quality of consultation that has taken place so far. The motion was seconded by Cllr. D Beechey and unanimously approved.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to Bridgnorth District Council and Shropshire Rural Housing Association and inform them of the agreed motion.
Cllr. Kidson informed the Council that no meeting had taken place with regard to the land at the junction of Elm Road and Cross Road although a meeting was scheduled between Mr. I Holland from the county and two local residents on Monday 6th October. Cllr. Pate proposed that the Council should still proceed with the purchase of the land from SCC and be prepared to meet the legal costs associated with the necessary stopping up order given that it was an important “gateway” site at the entrance to the village. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Nelson and agreed by Council with one vote against the proposal.
Cllr. Blincoe outlined a proposal to place four skips around the village for the collection of plastic bottles. The service would be operated free of charge. He suggested that skips could sited at Abney Avenue, the bottom of Bowling Green Lane and the Crown car park. Cllr. Pledger suggested that the fourth skip could go on the Donington church car park.
Cllr. Pate proposed that the Council should approve this initiative in principle and authorise Cllr. Blincoe to make the necessary arrangement. The motion was seconded by Cllr. Nelson and unanimously approved by Council.
Cllr. Hester raised the matter of a revised collection schedule for wheelie bins in the village by Veolia which would mean a delay in the collection of household rubbish which could amount to a health risk.
RESOLVED: The Clerk to write to Veolia expressing concern and urging a rethink of the new schedule to avoid a delay in the collection of household rubbish.
FUL/08/0603 Erection of single storey front and rear extensions at 16 Bredon Close, Albrighton.
No objections
FUL/08/0612 Erection of a two storey extension and garage at 10 St Mary’s Close, Albrighton.
Objections on the grounds that the proposals appeared to cross the boundary and encroach on the footpath between the High Street and St Mary’s Close and the loss of amenity regarding the removal of trees and other planting for the residents of 11 St Mary’s Close.
Erection of a canopy over the widows at 45 Elm Road, Albrighton.
No objections.
Planning Permission Granted:
08/0490 Siting of a storage container in rear yard at 83A High Street, Albrighton
Received and noted.
All items of correspondence were received and noted.
Cllr. Beechey informed Councillors that there was a meeting with London Midland at Albrighton station on 17th October.
The Chairman was delegated to arrange a Christmas meal at a suitable venue.
Members were informed that Mr. Mark Pritchard MP would be present at the Remembrance Day parade and would lay a wreath.
Agenda items for the next meeting were suggested as follows:
There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.27 pm
Signed………………………………………….Dated……………………………….
Chairman