Agenda item

Use of land for a Maize Maze with conversion of farm buildings to associated stores, offices and farm shop including construction of toilet building and 200 space car park (part retrospective) (resubmission).

Members considered a major full application submitted by Mr Tom Pearcy for the use of land at Dunnington Lodge, Elvington Lane as a Maize Maze with conversion of farm buildings to associated stores, offices and farm shop including construction of a toilet building and a 200 space car park (part retrospective). This application is a resubmission.

Officers updated that conditions four and six in the report had been altered; the changes to these were shown in the Resolution below. There were also two additional conditions regarding drainage and removal of permitted development rights.

Councillor Jamieson-Ball stood down from the Committee under the Planning Code of Good Conduct and spoke from the floor on behalf of the Applicant. He said that the current site operated successfully and had not received any complaints. The proposed site would not cause any harm to the greenbelt and the Maize Maze fits in well with the existing use of the site. The Applicant had also addressed the traffic concerns raised by the Highways Department.

Members queried the opening hours of the maze and the Applicant confirmed that it was generally during the daytime but there were infrequent evening events that he would like to continue running. It was also noted that the Applicant had agreed to provide funding for some nearby bus stops.

Members raised concerns regarding the surface of the children’s pay area and requested an informative be included regarding this.

RESOLVED:             That the application be approved subject to the conditions outlined in the report and the following amended and additional conditions and Informative.

1.      Amended condition 4 – Prior to the development coming into use, all areas used by vehicles, including the car park shall be surfaced only in accordance with details to be approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity in the Green Belt.

2.      Amended condition 6 – Prior to the development commencing details of the cycle parking areas, including means of enclosure, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The use hereby permitted shall not commence until the cycle parking areas and means of enclosure have been provided within the site in accordance with such approved details, and these areas shall not be used for any purpose other than the parking of cycles.

Reason: To promote use of cycles thereby reducing congestion on the adjacent roads in the interests of sustainability and the amenity of nearby residents.

3.      Development shall not begin until details of any foul and surface water drainage works from any new building or proposed use within existing buildings have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority, and carried out in accordance with these approved details.

Reason: So that the Local Planning Authority may be satisfied with these details for the proper drainage of the site.

4.      Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 3 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (or any Order revoking or re-enacting that Order), development of the type described in Class A of Part 2 of Schedule 2 (Minor operations including all gates, fences, walls or other means of enclosure) of that Order shall not be carried out without the prior written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: In the interests of visual amenity and the protection of the openness of the Green Belt the Local Planning Authority considered that it should exercise control over the erection of any future or means of enclosure, which without this condition, may have been carried out as ‘permitted development’ under the above classes of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995.

Informative

The ground surface under and around the play equipment as installed shall meet the health and safety requirements for use of such equipment by the general public. This is the responsibility of the site owner and advice and information on such requirements should be sought by them. This surface, where possible, should be designed to blend in with its surroundings in terms of colour, material and texture.

REASON:                  That, subject to the conditions outlined above and in the report, the proposal would not cause undue harm to interests of acknowledged importance, with particular reference to the impact of the Green Belt, local highway safety and issues of sustainability. As such the proposal complies with Policies E8A, E9, R1 and R2 IN of the North Yorkshire County Structure Plan (Alteration No.3 Adopted 1995) and Policies GB1, GB3, GB13, GP4A and T5 of the City of York Draft Local Plan incorporating the 4^th set of changes approved April 2005.