To consider the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2009.

RESOLVED -

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 September 2009 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Members were invited to declare interests in relation to items of business on the agenda.  Any interests declared are recorded in the relevant minute below.

Ratcliffe Road – Improvements: Together with the Vice Chairman, the Chairman had approved expenditure of £3,000 so that a car parking area adjacent to the open space in Ratcliffe Road could be resurfaced.  The works would include edging up of the car park hard standings and would substantially improve the layout and visual appearance of the parking area in front of the green. 

Defensive Planting and Lighting: Expenditure of £1,000 had been endorsed so that trees and defensive planting could be improved at the rear of bungalows on Lower Northam Road.  The planting, on community safety advice, should reduce access and nuisance to rear gardens of bungalows in Lower Northam Road.  In addition, expenditure of £400 had been approved to provide an extra street light in ‘The Drive’, West End where police had advised there had been incidents of damage and break-ins to vehicles.

Itchen Valley Country Park: The Chairman had requested that a Members’ meeting be arranged for a Saturday morning in November so that Members could be updated on the Country Park’s summer season and progress on Green Flag improvements.  An opportunity was needed for Members to view the proposed siting of the “Go Ape” course which would be subject to a planning decision by this Committee, probably at its December meeting.  An agenda would be circulated to Members when a date had been confirmed.

HEWEB Forum Meeting: A Members’ meeting was planned for Monday 9 November at the Civic Offices for Members and County Councillors to review progress on the Transport Scheme Inventory and local traffic management projects.  The meeting would commence at 7.00pm and would be held in the Committee Room.  The Chairman understood that good progress had been made by Engineers on designing a number of schemes and Members would have an opportunity to review progress as well as update the Transport Scheme Inventory. 

Christmas Concert – The Albion Band: Together with the Vice Chairman, the Chairman had approved a grant contribution of £700 towards the staging of a Christmas concert featuring “The Albion Band”.  The grant aimed to match the generous contribution made by Hedge End Town Council.  An acknowledgement of the Committee’s sponsorship on posters and a summary of income and expenditure after the event had been requested.  The Chairman wished the organisers every success in bringing live entertainment to the Hedge End area.

Community Safety: The HEWEB Community Safety Forum held its October public meeting in the Botley Market Hall.  One concern expressed by local people was a recent spate of damage to parked vehicles in Mortimer Road car park.  The Committee had reserved funds to upgrade and improve the lighting of the car park, which was in the Council’s ownership, but, in addition, extra patrols were being undertaken by the police, the youth service and the Council’s car parking patrol officers. 

The First Wessex Housing Association had agreed to spend £2,500 on removal of overgrowing trees so that natural surveillance of the car park could be improved and the police were intending to designate the car park, the nearby school and the recreation ground as a priority area for special operations including covert patrols.

Youth Shelters: The exact locations for the installation of three youth shelters had been confirmed with Botley Parish Council and Hedge End Town Council.  Orders had been placed for ground works to proceed and installation of the shelters at Norman Rodaway recreation ground, Botley recreation ground and Woodhouse Lane skateboard park should be completed within two months.  The cost of the works was £21,000 and all three sites would be reviewed with local council partners in the spring.

Foreman Homes – Consultation: Foreman Homes Ltd had acquired the housing development site adjacent to Kings Copse School.  A public consultation meeting held on Saturday 17 October had been well attended by residents and local Councillors.  It was expected that Foreman Homes would be submitting a planning application proposing the building of approximately 120 homes in line with the outline planning consent which was approved by this Committee in 2005.

Wellstead School: Richard Wharton, the Headteacher at Wellstead Primary School, had confirmed that the installation of the children’s play trail and covered seating area adjacent to the school play ground had been completed.  Work would soon commence on the construction of individual allotment plots for each class and this would complete a £25,000 scheme of works which had been funded by this Committee in partnership with Hedge End Town Council and the local County Councillor.

Wellstead had now increased its pupil numbers to over 150 and Richard would be happy for any local Members to visit the school and see the play trail.

Highway Minor Works: Contractors had now completed both the footway link at the entrance to Allington Lane and a minor footway extension at the junction of Moorgreen Road to improve a safe route to school safety.  Work was well advanced on the installation of two new bus shelters in West End and orders had been placed for additional footway improvements at Botley recreation ground and the parish centre.

Development Control staff gave a short presentation on guidelines that had to be taken into account when determining planning applications; in particular the issues that could, and could not, be taken into account.  This was set against the broader policy framework.

Ref: F/09/65585 – Construction of barn to provide storage/garage/workshop facilities with staff room, changing room and toilet

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Development Control (Agenda item 7) concerning an application for the construction of a barn to provide storage/garage workshop facilities with staff room, changing room and toilet (Ref: F/09/65585).

RESOLVED -

That permission be GRANTED, subject to:

(1)               The amending of condition 9 to read; “ …. storage and repair of equipment ….”; and

(2)               The recommended conditions and reasons.

(NOTE: Councillors Tennent and Sortwell declared an interest in this item, remained in the room, did not speak, but voted.)

Ref: F/09/65769 – Erection of detached garage at rear (amended description)

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Development Control (Agenda item 8) concerning an application for the erection of a detached garage at the rear (amended description) (Ref: F/09/65769).

RESOLVED -

That permission be GRANTED, subject to the recommended conditions and reasons.

F/09/65773 - Change of use from video shop (Class A1) to hot food takeaway/restaurant (Class A3/A5) to provide extension to existing restaurant at Unit 3

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Development Control (Agenda item 9) concerning an application for change of use from a video shop (Class A1) to a hot food takeaway/restaurant (Class A3/A5) to provide an extension to the existing restaurant at Unit 3 (Ref: F/09/65773).

The Committee was advised that one additional letter of objection had been received.

RESOLVED -

That permission be GRANTED, subject to the recommended conditions and reasons.

(NOTE: Three members of the public spoke in support of the application.)

Ref: A/09/65806 – Display of flag (Green Flag Award)

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Development Control (Agenda item 10) concerning an application for the display of a flag (Green Flag Award) (Ref: A/09/65806).

RESOLVED -

That advert consent be GRANTED, subject to the recommended conditions and reasons.

(NOTE: One member of the public spoke in objection to the application.)

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services to report:-

(a)               that the following appeals have been lodged:-

T/09/65409 – 8 Catherine Close, West End – appeal against refusal of application for crown lifting of 8m 1No. Oak (T1) and felling of 1No. Oak (T2)

F/09/65284 – 50 Stanier Way, Hedge End – appeal against refusal of application for first floor and side extension and attached single garage

(b)               that the following appeal has been dismissed:-

F/08/63740 – Oakdene, Winchester Road, Boorley Green – appeal against refusal of application for reduction in height of front boundary wall to a maximum of 1.6m and side boundary wall between 1.6m and 2.1m in height

The Head of Legal and Democratic Services reported:-

(a)               that the following appeals had been lodged:-

T/09/65409 – 8 Catherine Close, West End – appeal against refusal of application for crown lifting of 8m 1No. Oak (T1) and felling of 1No. Oak (T2)

F/09/65284 – 50 Stanier Way, Hedge End – appeal against refusal of application for first floor and side extension and attached single garage

(b)               that the following appeal had been dismissed:-

F/08/63740 – Oakdene, Winchester Road, Boorley Green – appeal against refusal of application for reduction in height of front boundary wall to a maximum of 1.6m and side boundary wall between 1.6m and 2.1m in height

RESOLVED -

That the report be noted.

Consideration was given to a report of the Head of Transportation and Engineering concerning a study undertaken at the Grange Road/Barton Drive junction, Hedge End.  The Committee had prioritised this junction for study in July 2008 as part of the Traffic Studies programme for the 2008/09 financial year.

Various traffic and road safety issues had been investigated relating to this junction and the immediate surroundings.  Where appropriate, recommendations had been made, which took into account the options available and their associated costs. 

Details concerning the nature of the junction and analyses of accident data were included within the study.  An appendix to the report contained a plan of the study area, the location of personal injury accidents and details of locations where surveys had been carried out.

It was reported at the meeting that a number of letters from residents had been received, which highlighted a range of concerns regarding traffic issues on Grange Road.

During discussion of the report and the concerns raised, the Committee considered it appropriate to request Hampshire County Council both to consider a speed reduction in Grange Road and to revisit the need for both Grange Road and the A334 to continue as an exceptional load route.

RESOLVED -

(1)               That a ‘No Entry’ road marking on the section of dual carriageway on Grange Road adjacent to the Botleigh Grange Hotel together with a ‘Dual Carriageway’ sign and a larger replacement ‘turn right’ sign be introduced at an approximate cost of £500, funded by this Committee;

(2)               That a request be made for the Police to undertake speed enforcement on Grange Road, as required;

(3)               That the deployment of a Speed Limit Reminder at an appropriate site on Grange Road be added to the list of sites in the Hedge End, West End and Botley area;

(4)               That a ‘No Waiting at Any Time’ Regulation Order to prohibit vehicles from being parked on the on-road cycle lane in Grange Road be progressed, funded from the agency TRO budget;

(5)               That Hampshire County Council be requested to undertake the maintenance of the cycle lane surfacing in Grange Road;

(6)               That a survey be carried out to determine the number of pedestrians crossing Grange Road outside the Botleigh Grange Hotel with a view to providing dropped kerbs and a surfaced path across the central reservation at a future date, at a cost of £500, to be funded by this Committee;

(7)               That a sum of £3000 be allocated for a feasibility study to be undertaken to determine whether a refuge in Grange Road between the Botleigh Grange Hotel and the Maypole roundabout is viable;

(8)               That this Committee’s concerns at vehicle speeds on Grange Road be brought to the attention of Hampshire County Council as part of the review of speed limits on “A” roads, with the objective of seeking a reduction in the speed limit to 30mph; and

(9)               That Hampshire County Council be requested to revisit the need for Grange Road and the A334 to continue as an exceptional load route and to provide information regarding the number of exceptional loads that have used the road over the last year.

Consideration was given to a report of the Area Co-ordinator in consultation with the Head of Development Control concerning the cost of construction of the Wildern Studio Theatre.

The Committee had resolved at its meeting on 13 July to contribute £600,000 from developers’ contributions as they became available to offset part of the capital costs of constructing the Theatre.  The report recommended the release of £39,240 as the first instalment of this contribution.

Updating the report, the Area Co-ordinator reported that the Community Development Manager would advise the joint Theatre Board on equality and diversity issues once it had been convened.

RESOLVED -

That contributions of £39,240 from Developers’ Contributions DC 39564/1 (Foremen/Pride Homes) and DC F/04/51927 (McCarthy & Stone) be released as part payment towards the construction costs of the Wildern Studio Theatre.

(NOTE: Councillors House, Bloom, Mrs Welsh and Skinner declared an interest in this item, remained in the room, did not speak, but voted.)