Agenda and minutes

At this point, members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare, at this point in the meeting, any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

Councillor Moore declared a personal non prejudicial interest as he had met with two of the objectors to discuss the procedure at the meeting, but had not expressed an opinion on the application. He also declared a personal non-prejudicial interest as Chair of Rawcliffe Parish Council and advised he had taken no part in any discussions regarding the application or expressed an opinion.

Councillor Gillies declared a personal non prejudicial interest as he had discovered that his daughter had signed the petition received by the Committee.

Councillor Pierce declared a personal non prejudicial interest as he had been involved with discussions on the original application for the site on behalf of Ryedale Council.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Planning Committee held on 24 June 2010.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 June 2010 be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

It is at this point in the meeting that members of the public who have registered their wish to speak can do so. The deadline for registering is by 5.00pm on Wednesday 21 July 2010. Members of the public can speak on specific planning applications or on other agenda items or matters within the remit of the committee.

To register please contact the Democracy Officer for the meeting, on the details at the foot of this agenda.

It was reported that there had been no registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

This item invites Members to determine the following planning application:

Members considered reports of the Assistant Director (Planning and Sustainable Development) relating to the following planning application, outlining the proposals and relevant planning considerations and setting out the views of the consultees and Officers.

Erection of single and two storey building to provide clinical and administrative accommodation, car and cycle parking, service road, fencing, landscaping works, CCTV cameras, external lighting, balcony and external staircase. [Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without Ward] [Site Visit]

Consideration was given to a major full application submitted by York Health Services, NHS Trust, for the erection of a single and two storey building to provide clinical and administrative accommodation, car and cycle parking, service road, fencing, landscaping works, CCTV cameras, external lighting, balcony and external staircase.

Officers circulated the following information in an update for Members, (the full details of which are set out in the annex attached to the agenda to the report):

• Explanation of the minimum distance of the proposal from nearby properties.
• The applicants willingness to plant further trees.
• Members attention drawn to the EU Habitats Directive.
• 46 signature petition received after the Committee report was prepared.
• Additional conditions relation to the boundary wall at the southern edge of the development, use of the service road, colour of the render and redesign of the building to better fit into the surroundings.
• Further highways information including the fact that the site would generate an estimated 17 vehicle movements during the morning peak and would not have a material impact on the local highway network.

Representations in support of the application were received from the applicant’s agent. He stated that out of respect for the natural surroundings the proposal had been purposefully designed to be as low as possible. He advised the two storey element was necessary for operational reasons and that the unit would not cause on street parking issues.

Representations also in support were received from a representative of the Primary Care Trust who explained the clinical reasons for the application. He advised that nationally there is a shortage of units for female patients with a particular need in the Yorkshire area. The unit would be carefully managed with individuals coming to it for reintegration.

Representations in support were received from a local resident who felt that the tradition for good health services in York should be continued with the development of the female unit and any objections from other residents could be resolved with discussion and conditions.

Representations were received in objection from a local resident on behalf of other local residents and 100 signatories of a petition. He advised that residents did not feel a design of this size, mass and style was acceptable, especially in a Green Belt area. He also raised concerns about the impact on wildlife.

A representative of Rawcliffe Parish Council objected to the proposal on the grounds that the size, mass and scale of the development is too large. He advised that the Parish Council supported local residents objections regarding the close proximity of the site to adjacent properties.

Members then questioned a number of details of the application including:

• The 2 storey lay out of the proposed development – confirmation that the top floor would be for office use.
• Smoking area provision
• Possibility of a liaison group being set up between the hospital operator and local residents.
• Colour of the external render.
• The boundary walls
• Drainage

Officers confirmed that an informative could be added to cover construction  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10a