MINUTES of September4th 2015MEETING of theRIPLEY TOWN COUNCIL PLANNINGCOMMITTEE

AttendeesCllrs: R P Ashton, A Bridge, L D Cox, Mrs L Joyes, P Lobley, M J Missett (Chair), D A Williams

And 7 members of the public and the Town Clerk

AGENDA

040915/1. To receive apologies for absence – Cllrs A Johnston and S D Freeborn

040915/2. Variation of Order of Business- None Required

040915/3. Declaration of Members Interests -

Cllr L Joyes declared a personal interest in the following items as a Local Councillor living in the village and would remain in the meeting

Cllr D Williams declared a personal interest in the following items as a Local County Councillor and would remain in the meeting

Cllr P Lobley declared a personal interest in the following items as a Ward Councillor and local resident and would remain in the meeting

Cllr R P Ashton declared a personal interest in the following items as a Borough Council member of the Planning Board and would remain in the meeting

040915/4. Public speaking –

A member of the public spoke of a meeting previously held by residents and attended by 200 people with the majority against the application, 65 people have written in to AVBC to object and stated that he would like to present the minutes of the meeting as evidence, and asks the RTC to support the residents by objecting.

Another resident spoke of the Ripley Neighbourhood Plan shows the proposed site of ecological significance with a great deal of wildlife and flora and fauna.

Cllr P Lobley spoke of the application would create a great extension to the village which has very few amenities and would change the whole character of the village and the local area.

Cllr L Joyes spoke of the road leading to the site os not wide enough to deal with traffic and walkers / pedestrians. The Coal Board have stated the land has a high risk of subsidence and there is also flooding in the vicinity.

AV Borough Cllr V Taylor spoke of her request to the Planning Officer to extend the date for responses to be received from September 4th 2015 to September 21st 2015

Cllr D Williams spoke of his support for the objections and echoes what the previous speakers have said, and would add the lorries and site vehicles would create a major problem and the wildlife in the area would be adversely effected. Also the population increase would create a massive strain for the local Doctors surgery, roads and the school.

040915/5. Planning Applications to discuss and make comments:

AVA/2015/0754 / Land West of Gun Lane Nether Heage - Residential development with associated highway improvements (outline) (This represents a Departure from the Adopted Development Plan).

RESOLVEDto object to the application on the grounds of:

  • The site is in the close proximity of Heage Windmill which is a Grade 2 Listed Building.
  • The panoramic views from Heage Windmill would be significantly affected by the development. The site plan on the application clearly identifies that the site has good views of Heage Windmill and consequently accepts that visitors to the windmill would have a clear view of the site.
  • The views from Derwent Valley Walk Number 4, identified by Derbyshire County Council as being panoramic and one of the highlights of the walk, include Heage Windmill and would also include a clear view of the proposed development. This walk was produced for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and so the development would have a negative impact on a World Heritage Site.
  • The proposed development is not in keeping with the buildings currently within the village.
  • The proposed site is not identified on any council plans as being recommended for development. There are nearby brownfield sites already approved for building but not developed.
  • The amenities within the area are not appropriate to supporting any further development. There are no shops in the village and only a limited bus service. Parking for residents is already difficult.
  • The highway network, both in the immediate locality and between the site and amenities, is already over capacity and cannot support further developments. Every route out of the site involves roads which have severe congestion at times and a combination of narrow roads and sharp bends.
  • The absence of any footpaths on Gun Lane, Malthouse Lane and sections of all other roads make car usage the predominant form of transport. Walking to school, for example, is not a safe option.
  • Several residents presented statements that the absence of wildlife on the proposed development site was due to hedge cutting etc. in preparation for submitting the planning application.
  • There were major concerns about the already overloaded sewage systems and the ongoing flood threat from streams and springs.

040915/

6. Meeting closed at 5.13pm

Date for next monthly Meeting: Monthly Town Council Meeting September 15th 2015 at 7.00pm

1