Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors M S Jones, Mrs H N J Powell, T M Trollope-Bellew and W S Webb.

None were declared at this stage of the meeting.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 7 November 2016, be agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

(NOTE: Councillor Ms T Keywood-Wainwright arrived in the meeting during the discussion of this item)

The Committee received a report in connection with objections and comments received during the formal consultation and advertisement to introduce a Residents' Parking scheme on Duke Street, Eastgate (part) and Kingston Terrace, Sleaford.

The report detailed the proposal, consultations, objections and the comments of the officers on the objections received.

On a motion by Councillor D Brailsford, seconded by Councillor I G Fleetwood, it was –

RESOLVED (10 votes for and 0 votes against. Councillor Ms T Keywood-Wainwright did not vote on this item because she arrived in the meeting while the item was being discussed).

That the objections and comments be overruled and that the order be confirmed as proposed at both consultation and advertisement stage.

Since the publication of the report further correspondence had been received from the Lincolnshire Geodiversity Group and the response of the Planning Manager to the response received. The correspondence and response were detailed in the update to the Committee and this was available for viewing on the Council's website.

Oliver Craven, representing the applicant, commented as follows:-

·    No objections had been received from consultees on the application.

·    The site had operated since the 1940s.

·    The company employed 28 staff and local jobs would be secured if the application was approved.

·    The application only proposed a modest extension to the current site.

·    The site at Denton refused by the Committee at a previous meeting was of a more substantial scale to the application before the Committee today.

·    The site was the closest to Lincoln where much of the limestone was used.

·    The current large land bank of limestone in the county was noted.

·    He drew attention to Government advice that each planning application for mineral extraction should be considered on its merits irrespective of the size of the land bank.

·    The drainage issues at the exit to the applicant's site would be addressed if the application was approved.

The applicant responded to questions asked by the Committee as follows:-

·    The company employed twenty eight people in total at both its Dunston and Whisby sites and of the twenty eight between six and eight people were directly employed in the quarry operation.

·    Should the Committee approve the application then the six to eight posts at Dunston would be protected. If refused there would also be a reduction in the number of HGV drivers employed.

Comments made by the Committee and the responses of officers included:-

·    Did the county land bank take into account any additional construction planned in the county? Officers confirmed that the supply figure was based upon known projects.

·    The Council had only recently approved its Minerals and Waste Local Plan and should be used in the determination of planning applications.

·    Should the Committee approve the application then this would preserve jobs at a company which had been in existence for seventy years. Officers pointed out that if the application was approved then it was very likely that jobs would be lost elsewhere in the county.

·    If the company considered that there was a market for its materials then it should be allowed to continue in business.

·    How quickly would the redundancies be made if the application was not approved? Officers stated that it was not possible to give a date for any redundancies but the existing site still had some reserves and the applicant had permission on the current site until 2025. It was thought that there were two years remaining of existing reserves on the current site.

·    The construction of the Lincoln Eastern By-Pass could provide an opportunity for the company to continue its business.

·    If this application was approved then there would be an oversupply of limestone. Officers stated that the aggregate industry had been given every  ...  view the full minutes text for item 61.