Agenda item

A major outline application for use of land for touring caravans (91 pitches) and 10 camping pods with associated buildings, refuse points, access and landscaping. [Rural West York Ward] [Site Visit].

Consideration was given to a major outline application for the use of land for touring caravans (91 pitches), 10 camping pods with associated buildings, refuse points, access and landscaping.

Consideration was given to a major outline application for the use of land for touring caravans (91 pitches), 10 camping pods with associated buildings, refuse points, access and landscaping.

Officers provided an update to the committee report, full details of which are attached to the online agenda for this meeting, the main points were as follows:

·        The applicant had offered to plant a 14 metre deep wooded area to the western boundary with Northfield Lane

·        A further representation in objection had been received concerned with extra traffic on the roads, change of character to Poppleton and damaging to businesses in the area.

·        A correction to the location map. A new map was circulated showing the correct site area.

Diane Davies had registered to speak on behalf of local residents. She advised that development on the land would cause harm to the Green Belt and that currently, the site links together two areas of Green Belt land. She also raised concerns about the loss of agricultural land and the impact upon wildlife and the proximity of the site to homes along Northfield Lane.

Kenneth Crocket had registered to speak as a local resident. He raised concerns about the lack of consultation with residents on the application and the potential  impact of light and noise pollution from the 90 caravans that would potentially be on the site. He also raised concerns about the loss of privacy to homes along Northfield Lane.

Richard Baxter had registered to speak on behalf of the applicant. He advised that the proposal was for a high quality site for touring caravans and that York only had two other sites in the City that would come close to what would be offered at this location. The layout would be low density with 10 caravans per acre.  He argued that the site was not in open countryside and as there is already development along Northfield Lane,  that the proposals would infill the space.

Edie Jones had registered to speak on behalf of Upper Poppleton Parish Council and the Poppleton Neighbourhood Plan Committee. She advised that the interim Green Belt for Poppleton had been defined in the Neighbourhood Plan and this area of land was important as it prevented coalescence and protected the setting of the Poppleton villages. She also raised concerns about the potential for an increase in traffic, particularly along the A59.

Members commented that having viewed the site on the site visit, they felt that it did fulfil a Green Belt purpose. As the site is not open land, any development on it would result in coalescence.

Resolved:           That the application was refused.

Reason:              The application site is within the general extent of the Green Belt as set out by policy Y1 of The Yorkshire and Humber Plan - Regional Spatial Strategy. In accordance with paragraph 89 of the National Planning Policy Framework it is considered that the touring caravan site including 91 caravan pitches, 10 camping pods, reception/shop/cycle hire store, wardens accommodation, garage, amenity blocks, service buildings, refuse store,  together with an extensive internal road layout, parking spaces,  2 metre high bund surrounding Northfield Terrace, and 2 metre high fence to the western boundary constitutes inappropriate development which, according to Section 9 of the Framework is, by definition, harmful to the Green Belt and should not be approved except in very special circumstances.  The proposal conflicts with the essential characteristics of Green Belts (their openness and their permanence) and the purposes of including land within the Green Belt by resulting in encroachment of development into the countryside,  the sprawl, merging and coalescence of development; and is harmful to the openness of the Green.  The Local Planning Authority has carefully considered the justification put forward by the applicant in support of the proposals but has concluded that these considerations do not clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt and other harm (being loss of Grade 1 agricultural land, harm to visual and landscape amenity) when substantial weight is given to the harm to the Green Belt. As such very special circumstances do not exist to justify the proposal.  The proposal is therefore contrary to Section 9 of the National Planning Policy Framework and policy YH9 of the Yorkshire and Humber Plan and also conflict with Draft Development Control Local Plan (2005) policy GB1: Development in the Green Belt