Agenda item

Replacement of mobile home (former railway carriage) with new dwelling with a detached double garage.  Install ground mounted PV panels and ground source heat pump.

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application for the replacement of a mobile home with a new dwelling and detached garage. Members were shown the location of the site and the boundaries of the site and surrounding area were highlighted, part of which was also owned by the applicant. Photographs of the existing mobile home and land around the site were shown. A flood risk map was also provided, showing that the site was in a low-risk flood zone.

The proposed plans were shown, which gave an indication of the size and appearance of the proposed dwelling, as well as the floorplan of the property. The proposed dwelling would be located in the centre of the site, with the detached garage and solar panels situated nearby. The existing gate access was proposed to be moved further into the site.

The planning history of the site was summarised and included a certificate of lawfulness issued for mixed use of the land for agricultural purposes and the siting of a caravan, which meant the applicant already had permission to site a mobile home. The Senior Planning Officer provided the legal definition of a caravan and provided images of the type of mobile home that could be situated given the certificate of lawfulness.

It was considered that while development would not usually be granted in this area, due to the existing permission, the proposed dwelling was acceptable.

Mr Cooper, Mr Whittingham and Cllr Tarr, the Ward Member for the area, all spoke in opposition to the application. Their concerns included flooding in the area recorded by residents, over development of the countryside and loss of agricultural land.

Ms McLoughlin, the agent for the applicant, spoke in support of the application, noting that the applicant wished to create a sustainable dwelling and that the proposed bungalow would be a visual improvement on the current mobile home.

In response to questions from members the Senior Planning Officer and Development Management Area Manager provided the following responses:

·       The S106 agreement would restrict usage of the land under the applicant’s ownership, so that a caravan could no longer be sited there, in addition to the proposed dwelling.  

·       There were no proposed restrictions on the occupation of the dwelling, as the current permission had no such restrictions.

·       Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were not consulted about the application, due to its small size, however any dwelling would have to conform to building regulations ensuring its safety.

Proposed by Cllr Northam and seconded by Cllr Kimber.

Decision: That authority be delegated to the Head of Planning and the Service Manager for Development Management and Enforcement to grant planning permission subject to the completion of a S106 agreement to restrict land within the applicant’s ownership, and subject to planning conditions set out in the appendix to these minutes.

And

Refuse permission for the reason set out in the appendix to these minutes, if the legal agreement is not completed by 6 months from the date of committee or such extended time as agreed by the Head of Planning or Service Manager for Development Management and Enforcement.