Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Suleman.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business to be discussed and/or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Members will be aware of the Code of Practice for Member involvement in Development Control decisions. They are also asked to declare any interest they might have in any matter on the committee agenda and/or contact with applicants, agents or third parties. The Chair, acting on advice from the Town Clerk, will then determine whether the interest disclosed is such to require the Member to withdraw from the committee during consideration of the relevant officer report.

Members who are not on the committee but who are attending to make representations in accordance with the Code of Practice are also required to declare any interest.  The Chair, acting on advice from the Town Clerk, will determine whether the interest disclosed is such that the Member is not able to make representations.  Members requiring guidance should contact the Town Clerk or the Committee's legal adviser prior to the committee meeting.

Members were asked to declare any interests they had in the business to be discussed on the agenda, including under the Council’s Code of Practice for Development Control Decisions, and or indicate that Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act applied to them.

Councillor Joshi declared a personal and prejudicial interest in respect of application 20081754, 8 French Road and 34 St Barnabas Road as he was the secretary of the place of worship detailed in the proposal. Councillor Joshi undertook to leave the meeting for the discussion and vote on this application

Councillor Joshi further declared that in respect of application 20090718, 36 Pine Tree Avenue, he lived in the Humberstone and Hamilton Ward, but at some distance from the applicant.

Councillor Shelton stated in respect of application 20090571, Beaumont Park, Bennion Road, that for clarification purposes he had been a regular attendee of Speedway in the 1960s and had previously signed a petition to bring Speedway back to Leicester. He had no interests in respect of the current application.

Under the Code of Practice for Development Control Decisions, the following declarations were made:

Councillor Bhatti declared that for the avoidance of doubt, in respect of application 20090660, 429 Melton Road, he knew the previous owner of the shop as detailed in the application, but he did not know the applicant in respect of the current application.

Councillor Mrs Chambers declared that she had received telephone representations in respect of application 20090502, 498 Uppingham Road and application 20090548, 753a Aylestone Road, but she had not commented on either application.

Councillor Chowdhury declared that he had received representations in respect of application 20090309, 10 Gwendolen Road. Units 1 & 2.

Councillor Mayat declared that he had received representations in respect of application 20081754, 8 French Road and 34 St Barnabas Road.

Councillor Gill declared that he had received general lobbying in support of application 20081754, 8 French Road and 34 St Barnabas Road and application 20090571, Beaumont Park, Bennion Road.  Councillor Gill further declared that in respect of application 20090502, 498 Uppingham Road, he had had some discussions with Officers and the Applicant, but had an open mind on the application.

Councillor Clair declared that he had received representations in respect of application 20090502, 498 Uppingham Road and application 20090544, 58 Green Lane Road.  Councillor Clair further declared that in respect of application 20090571, Beaumont Park, Bennion Road, he had friends in the gallery of the Council Chamber who had come to the meeting for this application.

The following Councillors who were not members of the Committee attended the meeting and spoke with regard to a specific application and declared the following interest in line with the Code of Practice for Member involvement in Development Control Decisions.

Councillor Westley declared that in respect of application 20090571, Beaumont Park, Bennion Road, he was present on behalf of all the Ward Councillors for Beaumont Leys.  For clarification purposes Councillor Westley stated that he and the other Ward Councillors had not given their  ...  view the full minutes text for item 173.

The Committee is asked to confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Control Committee held on 14 July 2009, and to be circulated, as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting of the Planning and Development Control Committee held on 14 July 2009,  be confirmed as a correct record.

The Committee is asked to consider the recommendations of the Corporate Director of Regeneration and Culture contained in the attached reports, within the categories identified in the index appended to the reports.

INDEX

APPLICATION ORDER

RESOLVED:

                        that the report of the Director, Planning and Economic Development, dated 4 August 2009 on Applications Recommended for Conditional Approval and Applications Recommended for Refusal, together with the additional information circulated at the meeting and reported verbally by Officers, be received and action taken as below:

20090571 - BEAUMONT PARK, BENNION ROAD

Ward: Beaumont Leys

Proposal: SPORTS COMPLEX COMPRISING SPEEDWAY TRACK WITH TWO-STOREY PAVILION BUILDING; 12 X 5-A-SIDE FOOTBALL PITCHES WITH SINGLE-STOREY FACILITY BUILDING; CYCLE TRACK; BMX TRACK; LIGHTING; ASSOCIATED PARKING (CLASS D2) (AMENDED PLANS)

Applicant: BEAUMONT SPORTS COMPLEX LTD

Councillor Bhatti left the meeting during the discussion of this application.

Councillor Westley addressed the Committee on this application and explained that he was present on behalf of all the Ward Councillors for Beaumont Leys. Councillor Westley explained that they were all supportive of the application and that they had received many calls from local residents who were also supportive of the proposal.  The Committee heard that the application would provide a much needed facility for the area.

RESOLVED:

                        that the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions set out below:

CONDITIONS

1.           The development shall be begun within three years from the date of this permission. (To comply with Section 91 of the Town & Country Planning Act 1990.)

2.          Before the development commences, details of the existing site levels

              and the finished floor levels shall be agreed in writing with the City Council as local planning authority and the development shall be carried out in accordance with the agreed details. (In the interests of the satisfactory development of the site and in accordance with policy

              PS10 of the City of Leicester Local Plan).

3.           The speedway track, five a side football pitches and cycle track shall not be used outside the hours of 0800-2230 daily. The speedway stand and football facility building shall not be used outside the hours of 0800-2330 daily. (In the interests of residential amenity and in accordance with policy PS10 of the City of Leicester Local Plan)         

4.           The number of speedway race meetings shall not exceed 50 in any one year.   (In the interest of residential amenity and in accordance with policy PS10 of the City of Leicester Local Plan).

5.          Before the development commences, a development programme which shall set out a programme for the bringing into use of the cycle track, the 5 a side pitches and the BMX track, shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the City Council as local planning authority, and shall be implemented in accordance with the agreed programme.

              (In the interest of the satisfactory development of the site and in accordance with policies GE09 and PS10 of the City of Leicester Local Plan).

6.          Notwithstanding the provisions of the Town and Country Planning

              (Use Classes) Order 1987, the site and buildings thereon shall only be used for the purposes set out in the application form and hereby approved, and not for any other uses falling within Use Classes D1 or D2.  (The City  ...  view the full minutes text for item 175.

The Chair reminded Members of the Committee that the Revised Code of Conduct stated that where a Ward Member was approached to speak on an application, that was outside their own Ward, they were asked as a matter of courtesy to make the appropriate Ward Members aware of the situation.

A Member of the Committee expressed concerns that this might breach a confidence between a member of the public and a Councillor and the Legal Officer advised that the onus was on the Councillor to inform the constituent that there was a Code of Conduct, which required Ward Members to inform other Ward Councillors if they were asked to speak on matters which were not in their own Ward. The Chair reminded Members that they did not need to go into specific details that would breach a confidence.

The meeting closed at 7.46 pm.