To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members:-

Councillor A Williams

Councillor DK Edwards

Councillor M Kearn

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers including those who are also Town and Community Councillors, in accordance with the provisions of the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008. Members having such dual roles should declare a personal interest in respect of their membership of such Town/Community Council and a prejudicial interest if they have taken part in the consideration of an item at that Town/Community Council contained in the Officer’s Reports below.

The following declarations of interest were made:-

Councillor A Williams – Prejudicial interest in Agenda item 9, in that her son was a member of the Penybont Football Academy. Councillor Williams left the meeting whilst this application was being considered.

Councillor N Burnett – Personal interest in Agenda item 9, as her brother lived next door to the application site.

Councillor JP Blundell – Personal interest in Agenda item 9, as a Member of Laleston Community Council who takes no part in planning matters.

To confirm a date of Wednesday 29/08/2018 for proposed site inspections arising at the meeting, or identified in advance of the next Committee meeting by the Chairperson.

RESOLVED:                That a date of Wednesday 29 August 2018 be confirmed for proposed site inspections arising at the meeting, or identified in advance of the next Committee by the Chairperson.

To receive for approval the minutes of the 07/06/2018  

RESOLVED:                That the Minutes of a meeting of the Development Control Committee dated 7 June 2018 be approved as a true and accurate record, subject to Councillors R Stirman and N Burnett being added to the list of Apologies for Absence listed for the meeting.

To advise Members of the names of the public speakers listed to speak at today’s meeting (if any).

Application Number      Application Site                     Objector

P/18/163/FUL               Penybont Football Club         G. Maddocks

                                     Bryntirion Park                       54 Banc Yr Allt

                                     Llangewydd Road                  Bryntirion

                                     Bridgend

                                     CF31 4JU     

That the Chairperson accepts the Development Control Committee Amendment Sheet as an urgent item in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules, in order to allow for Committee to consider necessary modifications to the Committee Report, so as to take account of late representations and revisions that require to be accommodated.

RESOLVED:                That the Chairperson accepted the Development Control Committee Amendment Sheet as an urgent item, in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules, in order to allow for Committee to consider necessary modifications to the Committee Report, so as to take account of late representations and revisions that require to be accommodated.

RESOLVED:                That the summary of Development Control Committee Guidance as detailed in the report, be noted.

RESOLVED:                That the above application be granted, subject to:

(A)  The applicant entering into a Section 106 Agreement to provide:-

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Owner/Developer to provide 3 affordable housing units on the site to be delivered in accordance with a scheme agreed in writing between the Owner, the Council and a nominated Registered Social Landlord. The affordable housing scheme will include details of the type of units, location within the site, affordable tenure and timescale for delivery.

PUBLIC OPEN SPACE

Establish a 'Management Company' for the future maintenance of the open space and landscaping serving the development. Details of the Management Company, including the funding of the Management Company, and the maintenance regime shall be agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority to ensure that the maintenance works are

carried out in perpetuity.

(B)  That the Corporate Director Communities be given plenary powers to issue a decision notice granting conditional consent in respect of this proposal once the applicant has entered into the aforementioned Section 106 Agreement, subject to the Conditions contained in the report of the Corporate Director – Communities.

RESOLVED:                That the above application be granted, subject to:

(A)   The applicant entering into a Section 106 Agreement to:

(1)  Provide a contribution of £8,000 for the application of double yellow lines around the site access, opposite the site access and any areas deemed necessary to stop vehicles parking indiscriminately and affecting the free flow of traffic.

(2)  Undertake that planning permission P/17/744/FUL will not be implemented.

That the Corporate Director – Communities be given plenary powers to issue a decision notice granting consent in respect of this proposal, once the applicant has entered into the aforementioned Section 106 Agreement, subject to the Conditions contained in his report. 

RESOLVED:                That the report of the Corporate Director – Communities in respect of the above be noted, with it further noted that a full report on the application will be presented to the next meeting of the Development Control Committee on 30 August 2018.

RESOLVED:         (1)   That the Appeals received since the last report of the Corporate Director – Communities to the Development Control Committee, as outlined in the report, be noted.

(2)    That the Inspectors appointed by the Welsh  Ministers to determine the following Appeals has directed they be DISMISSED:-

Code No.                     Subject of Appeal

A/18/3197583 (1821)   Part conversion of existing outbuilding to 1 No. holiday let with associated external alterations (re-submission), The Coppings, Bryncethin, Bridgend.

A/18/3197604 (1822)   Detached 2 bedroom 2 storey dwelling (resubmission of previous refusal) 2 Heol Y Berllan, Pyle.

A/18/3197570              Inclusion of agricultural land within curtilage of              

(Appeal A)                   dwellings, land rear of 51, 53 and 55 High Street

A/18/3197606              Laleston.

(Appeal B)

A/19/3197617

(Appeal C)

D/18/3201727 (1830)   Retention of decking to the rear of the property 9 Bryn Cottages, Pontyrhyl.

The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report, regarding the latest position in relation to a number of suggested changes to the Planning Enforcement System in Wales.

By way of background information, the Group Manager Development advised Members, that following a number of concerns raised by MP’s, AMs and Members regarding the effectiveness of the planning enforcement system in controlling major polluting activities that raise significant amenity issues, BCBC was asked to compile a list of potential improvements to the planning enforcement system that would provide greater strength to the local planning authorities to effectively and swiftly control development.

The report provided an outline of the current enforcement system, and suggested a number of changes and improvements to planning enforcement, and these were grouped under the headings contained in paragraph 3.2 of the report.

He proceeded by advising that, a number of key Members and Officers, attended a meeting on 11 June 2018 with the Cabinet Secretary, Ogmore AM and an official from the Welsh Government Planning Division. The Cabinet Secretary was sympathetic to the challenges facing Bridgend and other local planning authorities with regard to the enforcement of land use planning, and in particular, where there are significant environmental and amenity issues arising from some unauthorised activities.

The Cabinet Secretary indicated that any legislative changes would not be likely, given the challenging law making workload currently facing the National Assembly, however, there may be scope to look at how the current system operates, in order to encourage more effective use of existing powers and smarter working between the enforcement agencies.

The Group Manager Development added that a Task Group would be set-up comprising representatives from local planning authorities, Natural Resources Wales, Public Protection Officers and Welsh Government, with the first meeting taking place early Autumn. He added that Members would be updated with a further progress report on this matter in due course.

Members of Committee commended Officers for their hard work to date, which would no doubt continue in the future.

RESOLVED:                 That the report be noted.

The Group Manager Development presented a report, which advised Members of the work carried out by RTPI Cymru about the value of planning in Wales and Bridgend.

He confirmed that the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), is the UK’s leading planning body for spatial, sustainable and inclusive planning, and is the largest planning institute in Europe with over 25,000 members. He added that Wales had its own National organisation, RTPI Cymru.

The toolkit devised by RTPI Cymru was derived from considerable stakeholder engagement in order to fully understand the scope of which values should be measured. A report entitled The Value of Planning in Wales identified that planning has contributed £2.35 billion to Welsh society in 2016/17.

This figure can be proportioned as follows: £122.4 million of developers’

contributions to public infrastructure and projects, £2.47 million of recreational benefits through open spaces, £750,000 of community benefits and over £17 million of planning fee income.

Granting planning permission and enabling the completion of development has uplifted land values by £2.2 billion thus facilitating a more positive investment environment for the delivery of homes and infrastructure. It is estimated that 29% of the homes built in 2016/17 were affordable.

When applied to Bridgend the toolkit indicates that the value of planning is

estimated to be £89.5 million in 2016/17. A full breakdown of this benefit was outlined in Appendix A to this report.

The Group Manager Development concluded his submission, be advising Members that the Director of RTPI Cymru was intending to speak at the next Member training session preceding the Development Control Committee on 30 August 2018.

RESOLVED:                  That the report be noted.

RESOLVED:                  That the report of the Corporate Director – Communities outlining up and coming training sessions for Members on topical issues relating to Planning and Development Control, be noted.

To consider any other item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

None.