WELSHPOOL TOWN COUNCIL

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

MINUTES

Of a meeting held on Wednesday 9^th November 2011 at 6pm

in the Assembly Room Town Hall Welshpool

Committee

Cllr E Bleivas,  Cllr G Cross, Cllr A Crowe, Cllr H Evans, Cllr P Humphreys, Cllr S Kaye, Cllr J Meredith, Cllr Dr J Morgan, Cllr S Squibb and Cllr T Squibb.

Remit

All matters relating to planning, development, highways, planning applications, notices, regeneration, Motte and Bailey and the Town Centre.

Authority

To deal with the above without further reference to the Full Council except where the scheme is of a larger or sensitive nature.

Present were:

Cllr J Meredith (Chair), Cllr E Bleivas, Cllr A Cross, Cllr A Crowe, Cllr H Evans, Cllr P Humphreys, Cllr S Kaye, Cllr Dr J Morgan and Cllr S Squibb

In attendance: Cllr T Harvey, Cllr A Holloway, Cllr M Douglass (part), Robert Robinson Town Clerk

1.         Apologies for absence.

There were apologies for absence from Cllr T Squibb.

2.         Minutes of the last meeting

The minutes of the last meeting were accepted as a correct record.

3.         J Ross Development visit to meet Committee

The members received a presentation on a possible way forward with regard to the Church Street Car Park development with other elements of the Town Council’s Town Centre Plan.

There was a round table (with plans on it) discussion with the existing unaltered shop scheme but with additional plans showing the coach park, caravan parking and car parking by the TIC.

J Ross Developments explained why the plans had been put in the way they were, due to the contract in place with PCC.  J Ross Developments are aware that consultation is needed and they wished this meeting to be the start of redressing that.

The following issues were raised:

Clarity was sought as to what the Town Council wanted, a bus interchange or a coach point.  It was agreed that the coach parking was the important issue.

The need for caravan parking is also an important item including signing.  The caravan parking should be separated from the coach parking.

The reduction in public car parking was questioned. Before any new shop scheme was considered there were 720 car spaces in town (all in public car parks).  Now there are over 1,300 but of that 700 are still public car spaces.  If the scheme as outlined were to take place the car spaces would be approx 1,200 of which approx 400 would be public.  The remainder would be in private ownership relying on section 106 agreements to make them available for the public for set periods or unrestricted.

Concerns were expressed about the scale of the shop units, in the past smaller ones were shown.  The retail report did identify a need for smaller units of 2,500 to 9,000sf.  The current scheme has a 2,200sf unit, 7,560sf unit and a 15,250sf unit.

Concern over the canal access for boats was put forward at the last meeting.

The planning authority is keen to see the canal side walk.

The café has been removed as requested.

J Ross said that PCC did have some issues with the scheme.

These were not discussed.

Lorry parking needs to be addressed as there are issues in the Berriew Street car park with this.

Signing will be very important, a way of attracting people to the Town Centre as it is now is needed, crossing Church Street needs to be addressed.

There needs to be links to the Town Centre similar to those discussed before such as through to Severn Street, via Puzzle Square etc.

The Committee will meet with the Planning Authority and John Pearson is to be invited to a meeting which meets the timescales of dealing with the application on the table.

The Town Clerk did appraise the Committee on information regarding the principle of the sale of the site to J Ross Developments by way of an option agreement.

4        Planning decisions:

The meeting received the information that the Leighton Farm Proposals have been accepted by Powys County Council and the development will shortly be able to proceed.

Puzzle Square Alcohol License

The meeting also received the notice that the license for alcohol sales in Puzzle Square has been agreed.  The Town Council is to write expressing strongly its disappointment in this grant of a license with a copy being made available to the press.  The letter is to be signed by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Town Clerk.  The Town Clerk will also seek to find out if there was a condition that the licensee is to join the BOB scheme.

5        General Matters:

Town Centre Plan

The Town Clerk reported on the WAG Trunk Road Agency response to the following:

20MPH limit for the Town Centre

The Agency will not consider a 20MPH limit for the Town Centre.

Pedestrian Crossing by the Town Hall

The WAG has acceded to a request for a crossing by the Town Hall, this is being put forward for funding.

Street furniture in Broad Street

The WAG is prepared to consider a re-arrangement of street furniture and would welcome the Council’s views.

The Town Clerk will meet with the Chairman to put together a proposal for the Committee to consider in the first instance.

One Way System

The review of the one way system appears to have disappeared with nothing at present being suggested or taken forward.

The meeting agreed that the Council had waited long enough for the results of the review and that the Town Clerk should now seek a meeting between the WAG and Powys Highways Engineers to take things forward in line with the Town Council’s requests.

 Puzzle Square

 The works to provide planting boxes and tidying up of other planting including replacing some with prickly plants has been completed.

6         Planning applications

The following applications were considered:

            P2011 1188  5- 6 High Street

Section 73 application to removed conditions 6 and 13 attached to

planning permission P011-0435

The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

            2011 1224     Land adjacent to Welstead Howell Road

            Construction of a two storey building comprising 3 x 2 bed flats with

            formation of car parking area.

Some Councillors expressed concern about cars reversing out of the site into the public road.

The Committee SUPPORTS this application. (voting was 6 votes to 3)

The Committee further SUPPORTS a design change where the elevations are brick (in place of rendering) at the upper level and a tiled roof to match the surrounding buildings.

            P2011 1238     Powis Castle

Listed building application for alterations to restaurant and kitchen to include removal of internal 1970’s fittings and studwork walls, erection of a partition wall including doorway, covering of existing stone floor sets and removal and installation of external cowls to roof.

The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

            P2011 1262   Garage Plot at Church Road

            An application for the erection of a single dwelling and alterations to access.

            The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

7        Wind Farms, Pylons, Hubs and Transport

The Town Clerk gave a short update. 

Powys County Council sought a review of TAN8 at a Full Council Meeting in July but appears to be stalling on the issue of objecting under section 36 of the Electricity Act.  The County Council has said it is taking legal advice.

The Committee considered the next stage and agreed that the Town Clerk should push for an objection to section 36 and also release this to the press.

8          Motte and Bailey Project

The Committee considered in more detail the plans for the Motte and Bailey.

The Town Clerk updated the Committee on progress.  The idea is to have all responses from those involved by Christmas so that a firm plan can go ahead to the next stage in January 2012.

A representative of the owners of part of the site was present at the meeting.

The Town Clerk wishes to work with the owners and the Town Clerk confirmed that co-operation between the parties was good.

The comments by the Committee on the plans were:

            a)         The gates should remain and will need some work on them.

            b)         Stone walls are to be retained as much as possible.

            c)         The newer shrubbery should be removed.

            d)         A gazebo on the hill part should be considered.

            e)         A tree survey is to be done to ascertain the tree works needed.

            f)          Steps to the hill part should be retained.

The Town Clerk confirmed that plans for consultation have been issued to PCC, Powis Estates, Karl Meredith and the Bowling Club.

The Town Clerk is awaiting a proposal from the owners for a lease arrangement to the Town Council.

9.      Gungrog Road (49) Planning Refusal

The Planning authority is Powys County Council and their decision is made taking into account not only consultations but also objections from 3^rd parties and reference to planning law and the Unitary Development Plan.

All decisions are taken on this basis.

10.     Supermarket sales of alcohol

The subject of alcohol sales through supermarkets was raised by Cllr S Kaye.

The Town Clerk was asked to see if this item could be put on the agenda of the North Wales Association of Town and Larger Community Councils seeking support for the following:

A)                To remove sales of alcohol in supermarkets

B)                To reduce the tax on alcohol sold through public houses

C)                To seek help to aid small business (pubs) which form a social service

The Town Clerk gave a short report on progress with the alcohol ban and the meeting coming up soon with the Police on the matter.