Agenda, decisions and minutes

Development Committee - Thursday, 29th October, 2020 9.30 am

Venue: remotely via Zoom. View directions

Contact: Linda Yarham Email: linda.yarham@north-norfolk.gov.uk

Items
No.	Item
38.	TO RECEIVE APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE AND DETAILS OF ANY SUBSTITUTE MEMBER(S) Minutes: An apology for absence was received from Councillor A Varley. There was one substitute Member in attendance.
39.	MINUTES To approve as a correct record the Minutes of a meeting of the Committee held on 15 October 2020. Minutes: The Minutes of a meeting of the Committee held on 15 October 2020 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.
40.	ITEMS OF URGENT BUSINESS (a) To determine any other items of business which the Chairman decides should be considered as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972. (b) To consider any objections received to applications which the Head of Planning was authorised to determine at a previous meeting. Minutes: None.
41.	DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are asked at this stage to declare any interests that they may have in any of the following items on the agenda. The Code of Conduct for Members requires that declarations include the nature of the interest and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest. Minutes: None.
42.	CROMER - PO/18/1551 - Outline application for a mixed use scheme consisting of up to 185 homes, an Extra Care Home (Use Class C2), supported living for adults with learning disabilities (Use Class C2) & a sports & leisure park, together with associated infrastructure (Outline - details of access only); Land east and west of Roughton Road, Cromer for Innova Property Limited PDF 752 KB Additional documents: Appendix 2 - NCC Highways response , item 42. PDF 144 KB Appendix 2 - Applicant review of transport provisions , item 42. PDF 267 KB Decision: Withdrawn by applicant prior to the meeting. Minutes: The Head of Planning reported that the applicants had withdrawn this application on the previous evening and the Committee could not debate it. The Major Projects Manager confirmed that the application had been formally withdrawn and interested parties would be notified. Members of the Committee expressed their surprise and disappointment that the application had been withdrawn after more than two years of work. Officers, Members, local Councils and members of the public had put a great deal of time and effort into this application. It was noted that such tactics were increasingly used by large developers and it was suggested that attempts be made to recoup some of the cost of processing this application from the applicants. The Principal Lawyer explained that planning was a statutory function and there was no legislation currently in place to allow the Council to make an additional charge to the applicants. The Head of Planning explained that on Tuesday evening, the Leader of the Council had been sent a copy of an opinion from a QC acting on behalf of the applicants, which suggested that the application should be deferred from the agenda for this meeting because of alleged legal flaws in the Officer’s Report, so that further necessary consideration could be given to these issues. Legal advice had been sought by the Council, which had concluded that the Committee was entitled to consider the application. The applicant had then decided to withdraw the application in its entirety. He suggested that a letter be sent to the applicant expressing this Council’s disappointment at the withdrawal of the application at so late a stage and at the time, money and effort that had been spent on this matter. RESOLVED unanimously That a letter be sent to the applicants to express the Council’s disappointment in this matter.