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V25-1199 : W5563/11 - BOWLS & SOCIAL CLUB, CARLTON ROAD, LOWESTOFT

PLANNING APPLICATION REFERRED FOR DECISION

The meeting of full Council was asked to determine the above application, which had been referred by the Lowestoft Planning Sub-Committee following advice from the Department of the Environment and Transport's Government Office for Eastern Region.

The Council considered the report of the Director of Planning and Building Control which was appended by a report by the Chief Executive as Monitoring Officer.

The Director of Planning and Building Control circulated plans of the site and its proposed development at the meeting. The Director's recommendation was for refusal as the application conflicted with policies O6 paragraph 4, access and parking issues, TR5, access in accordance with the highway authority's standards, and TR6, parking standards, of the adopted Waveney Local Plan. The proposed egress would not meet visibility standards from the south-westerly direction unless gardens of properties, including those of objectors to the application, were lowered. The entrance and exit proposals would also effectively create an 'island' of houses from 123-129 Carlton Road. Members were reminded of refusals to similar schemes submitted in 1995 and 1993. The Director drew attention to 15 letters of objection included in the report. It was stressed that even without the need for the referral to GOER, the Director's recommendation would have been for refusal.

The Chief Executive spoke as Monitoring Officer on the implications of the propriety issue. He asked that the application be considered not solely as a planning issue, but on the Monitoring grounds also. Waveney had a policy of help and advice in assisting applicants with their submissions, and on this occasion, the application had ended up being submitted not in the name of the Club but effectively in the name of the Council, which in hindsight it should not have been. It had to be clear that the relationship with the Club did not influence the final decision to be made; approval could be perceived as being influenced.

The Chief Executive also drew attention to the Nolan Report on Local Government Standards. Particular emphasis was placed on the quasi-judicial approach and the need to be cautious where "lobbying" might take place, which provided for tighter procedural rules to be followed in determining planning applications. The Chief Executive's advice therefore was for refusal, in accordance with the recommendation of the Director of Planning and Building Control. Both also considered it extremely likely that any appeal against refusal would be upheld.

Members were divided by the issues. It was felt that the Club and its need for expansion could be a benefit to the neighbourhood amenities and the development could improve an untidy part of the application site. The car parking and highway issues clearly needed to be resolved, and the determination of the application would have an influence on any pending traffic regulation order for the area. However, it was considered paramount that the advice of the Chief Executive in his role as Monitoring Officer had to be heeded.

RESOLVED

That outline planning permission be refused to application W5563/11, Lowestoft Railway Bowls and Social Club, Carlton Road, Lowestoft.

(Councillors Cherry and Keable, and the Director of Community Services, declared an interest in the above item and left the room during the debate).

Volume 25 Minute 1199

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