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 19/0172 seeking outline planning permission for the retention of a pedestrian footpath around the western perimeter of the extended holiday village.  With the Committee’s approval Members also considered late information provided by the public objector at the meeting.  The late information had  also been provided to the planning officer and applicant’s agent prior to consideration of the application.

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.  Visual images of the site were also provided along with videos showing the pathways.  Members were reminded that planning permission for an extension to the Holiday Village had been granted in 2017 which had included proposed improvements to the pathways and as part of the extension works improvements to the existing pathway had been undertaken. The pathway had been available for general use following the first phase of the extension, however subsequently the operator of the Holiday Village had erected a perimeter fence and gates to enable phase two of the development to be undertaken with appropriate signage to an alternative pathway around the perimeter of the site.  The current application sought to retain the alternative pathway around the perimeter of the site for enhanced security to be used in conjunction with the pathway through the site. It was proposed that the opening hours for the pathway around the perimeter would be during the hours of daylight.  The suggested opening hours were 9am to 7pm from March to December and 9am to 5pm from December to March which would enable year round access restricted to certain parts of the day, dependent on the season.  Mr Johnston referred to the information in the update note regarding proposed condition 2 relating to the management plan.

Mr Longworth, member of the public, spoke against the application.  He referred to the additional information that he had submitted at the meeting.  His main concerns included the absence of year round access to the pathway and the lack of accessibility for all, particularly the physically disabled.  He highlighted the aims of Policy CS6 of the Core Strategy in terms of accessibility of greenspace as a means of promoting health and wellbeing.  Further concerns included the height of the perimeter fence and the opening hours for the pathways.

Mr Matta, the Applicant’s Agent, spoke in support of the application.  He highlighted his view of the importance of the Holiday Village in terms of local employment and the tourism economy. He provided his view of the benefits of the application in providing an additional access route and choice of pathway for the general public, the upgrading of the pathways and additional security for the Holiday Village which in his view had improved following restricted access.

The Committee was shown videos to demonstrate the route of the pathway around the perimeter of the Holiday Village site, in response to questions from the Committee, it was confirmed that improvements had been made to the original pathways.  It was also confirmed and that the pathways had never been suitable for wheelchair users due to their width and the presence of a ‘kissing gate’ which the Committee noted was the Council’s responsibility.

The Committee considered the application at length and noted the benefits of the scheme in retaining pedestrian routes and acknowledged the need for security during the hours of darkness.  Members discussed the opening hours and considered that to provide a balance between public accessibility and maintaining security for the Holiday Village the access hours should be 7am to 9pm during the summer months and 9am to 5pm in the winter months.  Members also recommended that appropriate notices alerting the public to the opening hours should be displayed.

Resolved:  That the application be approved, subject to the conditions and amended condition 3 to require access hours to the pathway of 7am to 9pm during the summer months and 9am to 5pm in the winter months, and for the reasons set out in the appendix to the minutes.

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