Agenda item

The Committee will be requested to consider an application for planning permission,

details of which are set out in the accompanying report.

The Committee considered planning application 18/0156 requesting permission for the use of land at 411 Midgeland Road as a traveller caravan site for two caravans and one chalet; use of existing two storey building for communal facilities, provision of four car parking spaces and associated landscaping.

Mr Johnston, Head of Development Management, provided the Committee with an overview of the application and presented an aerial view of the site and the site layout and location plans.  He advised that the application site was within the designated Marton Moss Strategic Site as set out in the Council’s Core Strategy.

Members of the Committee were reminded that consideration of the application had been deferred from the previous meeting to enable officers to provide information on the current status of the site. Mr Johnston referred the Committee to the report on the Agenda that provided information on the outcome of a site visit undertaken on 17 January 2019.  He also referred to the Fylde Coast Gypsy and Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Accommodation Assessment that had been undertaken by the Council in conjunction with Wyre and Fylde Borough Councils that had identified the requirement for an additional two gypsy and traveller sites within Blackpool and advised that this application, if approved, would partially fulfil the requirement by providing one of the two required sites. 

Mr Johnston also highlighted the sites that had been allocated in Part 2 of the Local Plan and referred to the preparation of the Neighbourhood Plan for Marton Moss, however as both of these Plans were still in the early stages of consultation only limited weight could be attached to them.  He referred the Committee to the representations in the update note, although it was noted that neither of these had been submitted by neighbours immediately adjacent to the application site.

Mr Johnston concluded by reporting on the application’s conflict with Policy CS26 of the Core Strategy which sought to restrict development of the Marton Moss area.  However, in his view, the need to identify a traveller site weighed heavily in favour of approval of the application and this outweighed the conflict with Policy CS26 and the application had therefore been recommended for approval.

Mr Boswell, Applicant, spoke in support of the application.  He explained his family history and circumstances, his reasons for moving to the area and his intention to continue to contribute to the community within his local area.

The Committee considered the application and suggested it would be appropriate to attach an additional condition to the permission, if granted, to restrict the use of the amenity building for amenity purposes only to prevent future habitation of the building.

Resolved:  That the application be approved, subject to the conditions and the inclusion of an additional condition to restrict the use of the amenity building to amenity purposes, and for the reasons set out in the appendix to the minutes.

Background papers:  Applications, plans and replies to consultations on the application.

NOTE:  Councillor Stansfield, having declared a prejudicial interest, left the room during consideration of this item and took no part in the discussion or voting on the application.