Agenda item

Erection of building for servicing and maintenance of helicopters and additional facilities incidental to heliport use (Outline – access, appearance, layout and scale).

The Committee considered an application for the erection of a building for servicing and maintenance of helicopters and additional facilities incidental to heliport use.

The Committee was shown an aerial photo, location plan, proposed site plan, elevations, floor and roof plans as well as photos of the site in the local context.

The key planning issues were outlined including:-       

·       Principle of development

·       Residential amenity

·       Visual amenity and setting of heritage assets

·       Biodiversity

The Senior Planning Officer outlined the amended conditions contained in the update sheet circulated to members before the meeting.  This, and the written representations subsequently read out by the Technical Support Officer are attached to these minutes.

Cllr Paul Kimber addressed the committee as the Ward Member concerning the effect of noise and fumes on nearby residential properties.

In response to technical questions, the following points were confirmed:-

·       There was no restriction on numbers of flights.

·       The proposed hangar was similar in height to nearby commercial buildings and the existing hangar.

·       The use of the hangar for servicing and maintenance of helicopters up to 4 months at a time with delivery via lorry.

·       Although this proposal would not result in additional flights, there was no restriction to numbers of flights on this site.

·       A noise report had been submitted as part of the application with no objection by Environmental Health.

The Committee noted comments that had been made with regard to noise and pollution, however, they considered that the hangar would mitigate a certain amount of noise and that the economic benefits of the proposal outweighed the impact on amenity of nearby residential properties, particularly given the long history of the site as a helicopter station.

Proposed by Cllr John Worth, seconded by Cllr Louie O’Leary.

The proposer and seconder confirmed that they were content to include the amended conditions contained in the update sheet in the recommendation.

The committee was minded to delegate authority to the Head of Planning to determine the application in line with the report recommendations.

The Head of Planning having considered the representations and the officer’s presentation and having taken into account the views of the committee made the following decision under delegated authority.

Decision of the Head of Planning:-

(A) That authority be delegated to the Head of Planning to grant, subject to the completion of a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and County Planning Act 1990 (as amended) to secure a financial contribution for mitigation to the recreational impact to the Chesil and the Fleet European site  and subject to planning conditions (as amended in the update sheet).

(B) That authority be delegated to the Head of Planning to  refuse permission for the reasons set out below if the legal agreement is not completed within 6 months of the date of the committee resolution or such extended time as agreed by the Head of Planning.

1. In the absence of a satisfactory completed Section 106 agreement the scheme fails to secure mitigation necessary to avoid unacceptable impacts through recreational pressures upon the Chesil and Fleet European Site contrary to policy ENV 2 of the West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland Local Plan (2015) and Section 15 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021).