Agenda item - Chair's Communications

93.1    Welcome everybody to today’s special meeting of Planning Committee.

Today’s meeting is unusual in more than one way. We will only be determining one application today and, as you can tell, we’re meeting on a Monday morning rather than a Wednesday afternoon. This is because this was the only available time slot when the Council Chamber was free.

It is also unusual in that we are being asked not to approve or refuse an application, but what our position would have been had the decision rested with us. This is because the application before us today has already been appealed on the grounds of non-determination, meaning the decision lies with the Planning Inspector, following a public inquiry, not the Local Planning Authority. However, our decision today is important as it will have an impact on the proceedings of the upcoming appeal. It is possible that, should we decide to grant the application, the appeal might be withdrawn. Alternatively, if we agree the Officers’ recommendation to refuse the application, this would form part of the Local Planning Authority’s evidence submission to the public enquiry.

As we will see, the reason that the application, which was made in 2018 has not been determined, is that National Highways, one of the Council’s statutory consultees, have not been able to offer their opinion on the transport implications of the application on the A27, King George VI Avenue, and other local roads, making it impossible for the Local Planning Authority to reach an informed decision.

Another unusual aspect is that due to the complexity of the application, reflected in it requiring this stand-along meeting, I did not consider allowing only three minutes speaking time to be adequate for today’s purposes. So, the ward Councillor, objectors, and applicant’s agent will each be allowed to address the Committee for a maximum of ten minutes.