PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

 

MINUTES

Of a meeting held on Wednesday 9th February 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 S Kaye (Chair), Cllr E Bleivas, Cllr A Crowe, Cllr H Evans, Cllr P Humphreys and Cllr Dr J Morgan.

 

1.         Apologies for absence.

There were apologies for absence from Cllr S Squibb, Cllr G Cross, Cllr T Squibb and Cllr J Meredith.

   

2.         Minutes of the last meeting.

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

 

 3.         General Planning Matters

             

Town Centre update

An update was given on the Town Centre progress.

The one way system comes in overnight on 20/21st February.

Notices have gone out to the lorry drivers about parking in the Berriew Street car park from 12th February.

Press releases have been done.

Powys notices have been done.

Notices for residents around the one way system are ready for distribution.

Notices to hand out two or three days before are ready.

Any help to hand out notices would be appreciated.

 

Notice delivery and handouts (17th to 20th February)

The times planned for distribution of notes around the occupiers on the one way system is to be 9.30am to 11am Thursday

The times planned for distribution of notes on car park car windows is to be

Friday 2pm to 4pm , Saturday 9.30am to 12 noon and Sunday 6pm to 8pm.

The times planned for handing leaflets out in the street are Friday 2pm to 4pm , Saturday 9.30am to 12 noon and Sunday 6pm to 8pm.

 

 

A press conference is being held on Monday 14th February at 9.30am to ensure the message is reported in the press just before the system opens.

 

The Town Clerk will on site from 8pm till 6am the following morning, overnight, to support the one way system implementation and deal with any public queries.

 

Planning Decisions

            There were no planning decisions.

           

Charity Shops

An update was given on progress with this item. The Welsh Assembly and Parliament are still considering the proposal to change the use class order.

 

 4.         Planning applications

 

            P2010 1328    Mount Pleasant School Lane Belan

            The erection of a two storey rear extension.

            The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

 

            P2011 0056      Lloyds TSB Broad Street

Display of one retrospective A1 sized illuminated window marketing unit and new internal light strips to ground floor windows.

            The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

 

            P2011 0060      Lloyds TSB Broad Street 

(Listed Building Consent)

Display of one retrospective A1 sized illuminated window marketing unit and new internal light strips to ground floor windows.

            The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

 

            P2011  0092      Riverdale Severn Lane

Extensions and alterations (revised proposal to previous permission M2207 0632) together with erection of front boundary wall and fence.

            The Committee SUPPORTS this application.

 

            P2011  0086      Tesco Site

            Display of advertisement signs.

The Committee SUPPORTS this application subject to the alteration of the petrol filling station sign which should ready ’24 hour’ as that is what the garage is to be.

 

5.         Local Development Plan  

The Committee further considered the local development plan and the current consultation stage.

The Committee was updated on meetings held by the Town Clerk with land owners etc. 

 

Those who have been consulted or will be by the March meeting are:

            Harry Ray and Co                             Morris Marshall and Poole

            Roger Parry                                       Hall and Co

            Shearer and Morris                           David Corfield

            Burgess Lands Trust                        Powis Estates

            T Allun Jones                         Ben Williams McColl

            Harrisons                                           WLLR

            Bob Jones Airport                             Potters

            Hughes Architects                             Gwynfor Humphreys

            Communities First                           

 

The Committee considered a number of items with relation to the plan:

 

Open Space protection sites

The Committee considered sites that they wished to be protected within the development boundaries.  The plan was agreed and will now be produced for the March meeting for final approval as the one to go to the engagement meeting.

 

Industrial and commercial sites

The Committee considered sites that they wished to be included within the development boundaries for industrial and commercial use.  The plan was agreed and will now be produced for the March meeting for final approval as the one to go to the engagement meeting.

 

Residential sites

The Committee considered sites that they wished to be considered for development.  The only real area for residential development was considered to be at top of Red bank.  Two schemes were considered.  One is to limit development to a few sites (plus the two existing allocated sites) and the other to see extensive development to all for good highways improvements.  The plan was agreed and will now be produced for the March meeting for final approval as the one to go to the engagement meeting.

 

Shopping centre boundary

The current shopping boundary was considered, the plan was agreed and will now be produced for the March meeting for final approval as the one to go to the engagement meeting.

 

Retail and town centre sites

The Committee considered sites that form the Town Centre developments within the development boundaries.  The Committee agreed to put forward those plans which were formed from the Town Council Town Centre Plan. The plan was agreed and will now be produced for the March meeting for final approval as the one to go to the engagement meeting.

 

The Committee noted three dates for meetings:

 

Pool Quay consultation to be held at St Johns Church on 22.2.2011 at 7pm

The Belan consultation to be held at Belan School on 28.2.2011 at 7pm

Engagement meeting at the Town Hall on 29th March 2011

Business Breakfast Meeting to be held at the Royal Oak later in April

 

6.     Withy Beds (change of name)

The Town Clerk read out in full the lengthy letter from PCC on the change of name.

The Councillors again objected to a change of name.

The reasons given were:

 

The name is historic and refers to the withy beds now under the station area and these have been there for over 100 years.

           

The site has always been called the Withy Beds and the arguments given do not, in the view of the Councillors, give good enough reason for change.

 

Reference to ‘gypsies’ was challenged; those on site are not ‘Romany’ and are travellers.

 

The Councillors confirmed that there is a strong feeling among residents that the name should not change.

 

The subject will be discussed at the next meeting when a final decision will be made.

In the meantime all Councillors will be asked for their views before that date.  PCC is to be informed of the delay in any decision.

           

It was noted that the Council had made a decision in a proper manner previously and that in practice the alteration of that decision may not be possible for 6 months as per standing orders.

 

The Councillors asked the Town Clerk to check the Welsh spelling for the existing name.