Agenda item

Tim Williamson has given notice of his wish to address the Panel on the matter of gaining planning permission for the external insulation of walls of houses in Bath.

Pat Dawson has given notice of her wish to address the Panel on the matter of the proposed closure of some of the Council’s public toilets.

Mr Tim Williamson addressed the Panel. A copy of the statement can be found on the Panel’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.

  The Need

·  In B&NES 41% of CO2 emissions are from our houses

·  Most of the heat in a house leaks through the walls.

·  More so in solid walled houses (50%)

·  69% of our houses in Widcombe are solid wall. 

·  Therefore wall insulation – internal or external is required

The problem of planning permission

·  1/3 of Widcombe residents report planning was a barrier.

·  I applied: after several attempts have finally got planning permission. 

·  Required to submit: Scaled drawings of elevations 1:50 or 1:100 – both as exists and also as proposed with external insulation?!

·  A Design and Access Statement = Landscaping? / Paths? Roads?

·  Agricultural Land Declaration!

This planning process is for house extensions – not for wall cladding

Householders will be put off.  Also cost = £200

Proposed Solution and question

National Planning policy framework

·  128 In determining applications... The level of detail should be proportionate ……and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact.

·  199. Local planning authorities should consider Local Development Orders to relax planning …… in particular where this would promote economic, social or environmental gains,  …… and should consider …. the use of conditions or planning obligations (203).

I now ask the Committee to request the Planning Department to answer:

Can a Local Development Order be developed to make it easier for householders to get permission for external insulation? 

e.g. PERMITTED DEVELOPMENT for the side and rear walls using the same colour as exists.

The Chairman thanked him for his statement and asked that it be passed to the Planning Department so that they may prepare a response.

Mr Sean Dixon addressed the Panel on behalf of Mr David Redgewell. A copy of the statement can be found on the Panel’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.

Greater Bristol and South West transport groups welcome Network

Rail’s proposals for four tracks between Lawrence Hill and Filton Abbey Wood which will double capacity on both the InterCity lines to the North and West of Bristol as well as the Greater Bristol Metro routes to Clifton Down, Avonmouth, Severn Beach, Henbury, Yate/Gloucester/Cheltenham, Newport/Cardiff, Weston/Taunton and Portishead and hopefully eventually to Thornbury.

The reopening of passenger services on the Portishead line including a new spur to Portishead and new stations at Portishead and Pill constitutes Phase One of the Metro project. Phase Two (fundable between 2019 and 2023) includes a reopened passenger service from Bristol Temple Meads to Henbury and Avonmouth via Filton Abbey Wood.

He also stated the need for proper ramp provision within all railway stations.

Finally, he wished to notify the Panel that a number of bus stops in the north of Bath were without timetables and called for this to be rectified.

The Chairman thanked him for his statement.

Cllr Judith Chubb-Whittle, Chair of Stanton Drew Parish Council addressed the Panel. A copy of the statement can be found on the Panel’s Minute Book, a summary is set out below.

She wished to raise concerns relating to the re-submitted & re-advertised

Planning application 013/1965/FUL (formerly 013/0125/FUL) to develop the mine & shale tip area adjacent to Old Colliery Site, Stanton Wick as a 12 pitch Gypsy and Traveller site.

She stated that the first application in January was full of errors, omissions and misleading information and was patently not checked adequately during the registration process. Fundamental errors included a factor of 4 error on the area, incorrect redline and grid reference, plus the site location referring to the adjacent Old Colliery Yard. All of these errors were clearly pointed out in objection statements lodged by the Parish Council and our parishioners.

Due to the errors and in particular the B2 error the applicant was asked to modify the application, which was re-advertised on 11th July. Now the ‘change of B2 use’ has been removed from the BANES description of application but remains on the application form. Why has the Case Officer allowed this?

Senior officers are well aware that B2 use only applied to the former concrete works and was not transferable.

Whilst there is not a lot that you can do about this mess other than to refuse the application please review and improve your processes & procedures to ensure that any subsequent applications are scrutinised for fundamental flaws before being registered.

The Chairman thanked her for her statement and asked Councillor Tim Ball, Cabinet Member for Homes & Planning if he would like to respond to the statement.

Councillor Tim Ball replied that as the application was currently live he was unable to give a response.

Pat Dawson addressed the Panel regarding the proposal to close some of the Council’s public toilets, in particular Larkhall. She asked the officers concerned to review the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) that was made prior to the decision.

She said that if the facilities were to close local traders would see a downturn in business.

She stated that all the facilities should remain open as they were well used by the public, including school children, runners and cyclists.

The Chairman thanked her for her statement and said that the matter would be discussed further later on in the meeting when the agenda item was reached.