Agenda item

Permission is sought for the use of 0.7 ha of land (1.04 ha including the access road) for the stationing of 20 touring caravans. The proposal would form an extension of an existing caravan site granted for 20 pitches in June 2005. Members may recall that this application was withdrawn from committee in January 2009. This application is essentially the same proposal but is supported by additional information.[Heworth Without] [Site Visit]

Members considered an application for the use of land for the stationing of 20 additional touring caravans and camping pitches at York Caravan Park.

The Officer updated Members by stating that two additional letters of support had been received, including one from the Chairman of Visit York, which was circulated to Members at the meeting.

A question was raised as to whether the Council allows touring caravans and tents to use parts of its public parks.

It was understood that there were two sites when this was allowed, at Rowntree Park and at the Knavesmire.

The agent for the applicant addressed Members and made a reference that that two years ago the Council had agreed on a previous application to allow hard standings for caravans and an amenity building. He emphasised the contribution that the Caravan Park was making to the economy of York and that it was well run, sustainable and was in demand.  In his view these were capable of constituting very special circumstances to justify the granting of planning permission within the Green Belt.  He also stated that there was a lack of supply of sites for camping and caravanning in York generally.

Members asked the agent if the lack of supply of sites for campers in York was common and if there was any evidence sent to Officers to prove this.

The agent replied that there was no information on a lack of sites in York as a whole given to Officers.

Members highlighted the Council’s Policy V5 in Paragraph 4.12 that it “specifies that the number of pitches should not exceed 20” and asked the Officer whether he was aware of sites in the city, which were also located in the Green Belt, that exceeded this number.

The Officer replied that he was not aware of any sites in the Green Belt that had been approved with a number exceeding 20 pitches.

Members asked about the flood risk to the site and highlighted Paragraph 5.2, which talked about how there was a discrepancy between the location of the site on the Environment Agency’s Flood Zone Map and the map of the Council’s own Flood Risk Assessment. 

The Officer advised Members that the Environment Agency’s only objection to the proposal was from surface drainage water, not the flooding aspect.

The agent for the applicant commented that the Environment Agency’s Flood Risk Zone maps tended to be broad and could only be defined on the topography of the site. He stated that the Caravan Park was in Flood Zone 2.

Certain Members asked about the planning permission for the existing caravan storage and the use of the lake on the site.

The agent replied that there was planning permission granted to permit the storage of caravans in a building on the site and that it was specifically for the purpose of storage. He added that the lake was purely decorative.

Some Members commented on how the agent had suggested that the Council Policy V5 of the City of York Draft Local Plan, which does not permit touring caravans sites in the Green Belt where there is an adverse affect on openness, was in existence prior to the original site coming into existence.

Other Members and the Officer confirmed that this was the case.

The Officer advised Members that there were recent examples of extensions to caravan and camping sites being refused due to their impact on the Green Belt, and an appeal at the Beechwood Caravan Park on Malton Road had been dismissed.

Councillor Pierce suggested that the application should be deferred for several reasons:

• To receive information on the supply and demand of the particular site
• To gain more information from Visit York on the effect of campsites on York’s economy
• The necessity of a new report to include more reasons for refusal apart from Policy V5 to strengthen the decision of the Committee if the applicant appealed.

Councillors Taylor and Watson backed Councillor Pierce’s suggestion of deferral because they were concerned that York could lose valuable tourist revenue.  They stated that they would also like to know the outcome of the enforcement action in relation to the access road that had already been constructed on the site.  Members were advised that if this application was refused then the enforcement action would continue.

Councillor Pierce moved the motion to defer the decision of the application and Councillor Taylor seconded. On being put to the vote this motion was lost.

RESOLVED:             The application be refused. ¹

REASON:                  1. The site is located within an area of Green Belt, which is characterised by its generally agricultural appearance. The extension of the touring caravan site would compromise the openness of this area and would conflict with the purposes for including land within Green Belt. The proposal is therefore inappropriate development in terms of the advice contained in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2 “Green Belts”, and is by definition, harmful to the Green Belt. No very special circumstances have been shown by the applicant, which would outweigh the harm to the Green Belt. The proposal would also conflict with Policy V5 of the City of York Draft Local Plan (CYDLP), which does not permit touring caravan sites in Green Belt where there is an adverse effect on the openness of the Green Belt and GB1 of the CYDLP, which does not support development that detracts from the open character of the Green Belt.

                                    2. The proposal would enlarge the area currently occupied by caravans, thereby encroaching into open countryside to the detriment of visual amenity and the attractive rural character of the area. This is considered contrary to policies V5 ad V1 (f) of the City of York Draft Local plan and the evidence base to the Local Development Framework entitled ‘The Approach to the Green Belt’.