Agenda and minutes

Venue: Bentley Hotel and Leisure Club, Newark Road, South Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 9NH

Contact: Steve Blagg  Democratic Services Officer

Items
No. Item

56.

Procedure to be followed by the meeting

Minutes:

The Chairman outlined the procedure to be followed for considering the planning application before the meeting today.

57.

Apologies/replacement members

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors D Brailsford, S P Roe, H Spratt and C L Strange.

 

The Chief Executive reported that under the Local Government (Committee and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, she had appointed Councillor Mrs P Cooper to the Committee, in place of Councillor C L Strange, from 27 January 2020 (Planning and Regulation Committee site visit to the application site) to the conclusion of this meeting.

 

Officers stated that Councillors S P Roe and C L Strange had requested that it should be noted that the reason for their apologies for today's meeting was because both had relatives who had businesses in the Norton Disney area.

 

 

58.

Declarations of Members' Interests

Minutes:

Councillor L A Cawrey requested that it should be noted that she was a member of North Kesteven District Council's Planning Committee and had been present at that meeting when this application had been considered by the Council in its capacity as a statutory consultee. She had declared an interest at that meeting as a member of the County Council's Planning and Regulation Committee and had not taken part in any discussion or voting on the matter and, therefore, she would not be biased when this matter was considered by the County Council's Planning and Regulation Committee (minute 62).

 

Councillor Mrs M J Overton MBE requested that it should be noted that she was a member of North Kesteven District Council's Planning Committee and had been present when this application had been considered at that meeting as the Council was a statutory consultee. She stated that following legal advice she had considered the application from the District Council's planning perspective. She would, at today's meeting, consider the application from a County Council planning perspective with an open mind and would discuss and vote on the matter (minute 62).

59.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning and Regulation Committee held on 13 January 2020 pdf icon PDF 249 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on 13 January 2020, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

60.

Notes of the site visit to the planning application site at Villa Farm, Folly Lane, Norton Disney - Lincoln Proteins Ltd (Agent: JHWalter LLP) - 18/0714/CCC on 27 January 2020

Additional documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED

 

That the notes of the site visit held on 27 January 2020, be agreed as a correct record.

61.

County Matter Applications

62.

For the erection of an animal by-products processing facility to include two processing buildings for Category 1 (and Category 2) and Category 3 material, associated ducting, ancillary boiler houses, covered filtration beds with flues, 35 metre high composite stack, water treatment plant, internal roadways, employee welfare buildings, stores, weighbridge, weighbridge kiosk, trailer park, visitor and staff car park, attenuation lagoons, clean water pond, landscaping, new vehicular access to Folly Lane, upgraded second access, 2.4 metre paladin fencing, change of use and alterations to the two existing dwellings to form ancillary offices and demolition of all other existing buildings at Villa Farm, Folly Lane, Norton Disney - Lincoln Proteins Ltd (Agent: JHWalter LLP) - 18/0714/CCC pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Since the publication of the report officers reported that additional comments had been received in connection with the application. These comments had been circulated to members in the Committee's update and had been placed on the Council's website to be viewed by the public.

 

Officers stated that between the writing of the update on Friday 31 January 2020 and the close of business on 31 January 2020, a further 34 representations of objection had been received. In total, 1,160 representations had been received from 788 households with a total of 1,105 objections and 54 representations of support.

 

Flo Bauer, an objector, commented as follows:-

 

• This was a speculative application for a major industrial development on prime agricultural land, from a company who consistently preached a supposed public benefit in order to mitigate failing to comply with several planning policies and regulations.

• They greatly underplayed the adverse effects and overstated the mitigating factors as was, of course, in their interest.

• The applicant had failed to make an exceptional case and that the Planning Committee should not depart from its planning guidelines.

• The application was originally framed as relocation for the business. However, this was a spurious claim which the applicant had since retracted.

• Whatever the outcome of this application, the Skellingthorpe site would continue to operate, either under the control of the applicant or under the control of the site’s owner.

• With regard to need - the Renderers’ Association had confirmed that the Industry was already carrying significant spare capacity; veganism and vegetarianism were becoming more important and it was recently reported that UK meat sales decreased last year by over £184million. The applicant had failed to mention J.G Pears, an established rendering plant, which lay just over the County border and, most importantly, had its own proposals for expansion.

• These combined factors eradicated any purported public need for an additional rendering plant.

• The County Council's report stated a key lack of robust consideration into other sites.

• This was, perhaps, explained by the fact that the applicant purchased Villa Farm before it prepared its ‘Alternative Site Report’.

• Interestingly, the applicant did not mention, or consider, the other sites they owned within the UK.

• The applicant’s claim that 20 new jobs would be created was disingenuous.

• It would be offset by the disproportionate number of jobs that would be lost in existing local businesses that relied wholly on the unspoilt rurality of the location. Norton Disney Fisheries which, with the pollution emitted from the factory affecting water levels, stood to lose £2 million of fish and 140 associated jobs.

• Completion of the Bomber County Lancaster Sculpture near to this location would boost tourism and leisure and would greatly enhance the Gateway to the County, providing a fitting tribute to the history and heritage of Lincolnshire.

• This would be impacted by the development of this industrial mega structure in such an elevated and prominent position over the A46.

•  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

 

 
 
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