West Knoyle Parish Council

Parish Clerk – Mrs. L. C. Wood

Minutes of a Parish Council meeting held on Monday, 22^nd August 2022 at 7.30 p.m. in West Knoyle Village Hall.

Present:  Councillors Paul Yates (Chairman), Marcus Randall (Vice-Chairman), Mrs. Alex Davies, Tony Davis & Paul Vita.

Also: Corinne Leonard, Mr. Matthew Dawson,  Janet Howard, David Marsh + architect & Wiltshire Councillor George Jeans.

Meeting convened at 7.34 pm with Public Session:

Wiltshire Councillor George Jeans explained that he had come along to listen to views of the public and the parish councillors and was not forming any views.

Corinne Leonard explained that she was representing the Trustees of the Village Hall who had submitted a formal response to the planning application relating to the Old School House which was available to view on the planning register.  However, she explained that there was no objections to the extension as such but Trustees were concerned about any possible structural change that could occur to the Village Hall as a result of any building and excavation work taking place on the Old School House in such close proximity.  It was explained that close proximity development works are not material considerations for planning officers but would be considerations for building control and the applicant and Trustees of the Village Hall may be advised to consider the Third-Party Wall Act.  However, it was suggested that the Parish Council could add an informative to their planning comments.

David Marsh explained that he was the applicant for the proposed self-build dwelling.  He said that he was aware that there had been concerns relating to planning applications that had been submitted for this piece of land before but he had been communicating with neighbours and residents and hoped that he had managed to address those concerns.  He said it had taken him 2 years to develop the scheme now submitted and that, although he was a developer, he was planning to build this house himself for him and his family to live in.

Janet Howard said that she was a close neighbour to the land and welcomed another house in the village and said she had no objections to this planning application. 

Wiltshire Councillor Jeans said that he could only provide factual information in relation to this planning application: under Wiltshire Council’s present planning policy documents (Wiltshire Core Strategy) there is no development boundary for West Knoyle and therefore  approval for a new house would only be granted in exceptional circumstances and that if the Parish Council were to approve it, then he thought it would be necessary for the Parish Council to also request that the planning application is called into committee for it to stand any chance of being granted planning permission. 

The Clerk said that she was not a planning officer but was not aware that a self-build house constituted exceptional circumstances although she was aware that a self-build house would be exempt from Community Infrastructure Levy but this required the builder to live in the house afterwards.

Marcus Randall said that Dave Marsh was a friend of his and he had known him for 16 years so would be declaring a personal interest in the planning application.  However, as a member of the public and resident of the village, he felt that the scheme presented ticked the right boxes and would provide a home for a family on a plot of land that already had houses on either side and was not exactly out in the open countryside.

Apologies for absence. 

• None received

100. To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests from Councillors on matters to be considered at the meeting.

Members are invited to declare disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests in items on the agenda as required by the West Knoyle Code of Conduct for Members and by the Localism Act 2011.

• Marcus Randall declared a personal interest in both planning applications.

101. Minutes – RESOLVED to approve Minutes of Parish Council meeting held on Monday, 20^th June 2022 on proposal made by Cllr. Alex Davies, seconded by Tony Davis and carried with a unanimous vote of those present on 20.6.22

102. Planning
103. a) To consider consultee responses to the following planning applications:

RESOLVED that the clarifications and amended plans addressed most of the concerns raised by the Parish Council in its submission on the original planning application.  Therefore, the Parish Council should recommend approval of the amended plans submit to adding an informative relating to the proximity of the village hall and concerns relating to potential structural damage.  Proposal carried with a vote of 4 in favour.  In view of his personal interest, Cllr. Randall refrained from voting or discussion.

Cllr. Alex Davies said that she thought the proposed dwelling would make a nice infill.  Cllr. Yates said that, in the absence of a housing policy boundary within the village, his concern related to the fact that approval of this could set a precedent for approval of dwellings in the open countryside that may not be welcomed by the village.  He also raised the point that other planning applications which had been submitted for this site had been refused and he did not feel that there was sufficient justification to change the status of the site simply because the application was for a self-build and the applicant intended to live in the dwelling.  RESOLVED to submit an objection to the planning application on proposal made by Cllr. Yates.  There being 2 votes in favour of this proposal and 2 votes against this proposal, the Chairman used his casting vote and the proposal was carried.  In view of his personal interest, Cllr. Randall refrained from voting or discussion. 

103. Finance
104. Payments – RESOLVED to approve the following payments:

104. General Items
105. a) Cross-border collaboration between Wiltshire Police and Dorset Police – enquiry from Sedgehill & Semley Parish Council – the Clerk read out the email from Sedgehill & Semley Parish Council which enquiried as to whether there had been any experiences of collaboration, either good or bad, between Wiltshire Police and Dorset Police.

105. Date of next meeting – it was pointed out that the next meeting had already been set for 13^th September.

Members are reminded that the Parish Council has a general duty to consider the following matters in the exercise of any of its functions:  Equal Opportunities (race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status and any disability), Crime and Disorder, Health & Safety and Human Rights.

Meeting closed 20.37 pm