Planning and Development June 2024

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Minutes

Planning and Development Committee Meeting Minutes

7.30pm Wednesday 19 June 2024

Function Room, St Andrews Community Centre, Saxilby, LN1 2LP.

The meeting started at 19:56.

Members Present

Cllrs Barratt, Hillman (committee chair), Saunders, Waller, and J Willox.

Members Absent

Cllrs Crump, Hughes, and I Willox.

In Attendance

Lydia Hopton, Parish Clerk

No members of the public were present.

Meeting

Outgoing chair Cllr Hillman opened the meeting.

P24/087 1. Elect a chair of the committee

Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Waller), it was RESOLVED to:

Elect Cllr Hillman as chair of the committee.

P24/088 2. Elect a vice-chair of the committee

Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to:

Elect Cllr Saunders as vice-chair of the committee.

P24/089 3. Receive apologies and accept valid reasons for absence

Having been proposed (Cllr Hillman) and seconded (Cllr Waller), it was RESOLVED to:

Accept the apologies from Cllrs Crump, Hughes, and I Willox.

P24/090 4. Receive declarations of interest in accordance with the Localism Act 2011

None received.

P24/091 5. Consider granting dispensation requests, these having been submitted in writing to the proper officer before, or at the start of, the meeting

None received.

P24/092 6. 15 Minute Public Participation Session with respect of business on the agenda only. To note a question, representation, or statement from member(s) of the public on items on the agenda

None present.

P24/093 7. Approve planning and development committee meeting notes as minutes for 14 June 2024

Having been proposed (Cllr Hillman) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), with one abstaining, it was RESOLVED to:

Approve the planning and development committee meeting notes as minutes for 14 June 2024.

To note updates and agree actions:

P24/094 8. Meeting action log and agree to move selected actions over to the NDP Review Working Group

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

Note the meeting action log and agree to move the following over to the NDP Review Working Group:

• Improve Church Lane Hill

• Request pedestrian crossing Church on Road

• Correspondence from Saxilby History Group regarding the Levelling up and Regeneration Act and heritage-related provisions in the Act.

P24/095 9. NDP Review Working Group

The chair provided a verbal update, which was noted.

Clerk to circulate paper after meeting, due to receiving the update on the day of the meeting.

P24/096 10. NDP Project 1.4 LCC cycle path connection between Lincoln and Saxilby

Update noted on progress of the project. The official opening is to be scheduled when final aspects of project such as signage are completed.

P24/097 11. NDP Project 3.1 Saxilby and District Multi-Use Games Area

Update noted.

P24/098 12. NDP Project 4.0 Saxilby Waterfront Working Group

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

Note the review and approve the following recommendations:

a. Memory Branch

To accept the offer of a donation, which will be used to cover the costs of a memory tree plaque and the engraving of one of the empty leaves.

b. Visual record of the regeneration

To approach a local photographer regarding a photographic project to record the regeneration project.

c. Wildflower pathway

CRT contractors have cut the recently re-planted wildflowers along the top tow path. CRT to be invoiced for re-seeding for the second time.

d. Pipe bridge

Due to continued lack of progress from Anglian Water regarding refurbishment of the pipe bridge, it is proposed that a press release is written, as well as a letter to our local MP to increase public awareness and support for a campaign.

P24/099 13. NDP Para. 102 Saxilby Speedwatch Scheme

Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to:

Note the update, support the promotion of more volunteers, speed indicator, and add into NDP projects.

P24/100 14. D-Day 80 Co-ordination:

a. The report was noted.

b. Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Hillman), it was RESOLVED to:

Agree for a flowering pear to be purchased for the Garden for the Fallen, to be planted in autumn with a plaque and a tree planting ceremony to be held with local residents invited (budget £200).

c. Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

Agree to pay for the room hire for the monthly coffee morning in commemoration of D-Day 80 at £20.

d. Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

Pay a contribution to the Royal British Legion in commemoration of D-Day 80 from the D-Day 80 budget of £19.16 to top up the total funds raised from the commemorations to £1,000 (Power: LGA 1972, s137 para 3a).

e. Ratification of expenditure

Defer.

P24/100 15. Retail Grant Project

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to:

a. To receive the update

b. To contact a solicitor to put an agreement in place with landowner

c. To contact LCC/fire & rescue regarding re-siting of fire hydrant sign

d. To set-up a webpage

P24/102 16. To agree a response to Lincolnshire County Council’s Rights of Way Consultation (to inform the strategic and aspirational priorities in a draft 10 year improvement plan)

The consultation was completed and submitted.

P24/103 17. To note the adopted Local Validation Lists for the Central Lincolnshire Local Plan

Noted.

P24/104 18. To consider and respond to correspondence from Saxilby Nature Project regarding land north east of bridge street footbridge

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to:

Seek to arrange a multi-agency meeting to discuss the land.

P24/105 19. To consider correspondence from a resident on dogs on Westcroft Green Space

Having been proposed (Cllr Hillman) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

Explore what options are available with WLDC (also see NALC Legal Topic Notice LTN17).

P24/106 20. To consider recommending to Highways wooden posts on the junction of William Street and High Street to prevent car parking on and damage to highways verges

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to:

Recommend to Highways wooden posts on the junction of William Street and High Street to prevent car parking on and damage to highways verges and re-instate verge.

P24/107 21. To consider a request for a bus shelter on the Gainsborough bound route

Having been proposed (Cllr J Willox) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

1. Seek to install bus shelter at the bus stop opposite the Co-op (three bay, black cantilever, ½ side panel, and perch seat)

2. Clerk to obtain costings

3. Make an application to Lincolnshire county council to

a. For permission to install a bus shelter

b. Apply for a bus shelter grant

4. Identify funds if there is a shortfall e.g. capital expenditure/planning contributions

5. Notify nearest neighbours of the plan

P24/108 22. Note response from highways for grit bin request on William Street

Noted.

P24/109 23. To receive an update on the former Bridge Inn on the A57

Noted.

P24/110 24. To agree attendees to a Lincs Reservoir consultation event and agree a consultation response

All cllrs invited to attend consultation and bring back to committee to discuss further.

Agree consultee response on the following planning applications:

P24/111 25. 147939: Change of use from residential (Use Class C3) to physiotherapy clinic and pilates studio (Use Class E), including conversion and extension of existing garage. 7 Lincoln Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, LN1 2NF.

Application withdrawn.

P24/112 26. 147940: Advertisement consent to display 1no. fascia sign, 1no. door sign, 2no. wall signs and 1no. freestanding sign board. 7 Lincoln Road, Saxilby, Lincoln, LN1 2NF.

Application withdrawn.

P24/113 27. 148254: Remove existing conifer hedge and erect fence. 10 Warwick Close, Saxilby, Lincoln, LN1 2FT.

Having been proposed (Cllr Saunders) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED that the consultee comments are:

If the conifer hedge is removed it should be replaced with a native hedge to enhance biodiversity and enhance Saxilby’s hedgerow network.

If a fence is installed in addition it should be a maximum height of 6’, with habitat enhancement measures including a 13cmx13cm hole at ground level to encourage hedgehogs (hedgehog highway)

It is noted the planning application sign not very visible at site, being on gates within the property.

P24/114 28. WL/2024/00395 Planning application for the development of a ground mounted solar PV array (up to 35MWac), supporting energy infrastructure (including battery storage) and associated site works comprising maintenance tracks, fencing, security measures and on-site cabling. Land at Barker Farm, Stow Park Road, Stow Park, Lincoln, LN1 2AN.

Having been proposed (Cllr Waller) and seconded (Cllr Barratt), it was RESOLVED to use the solar position statement as the basis of the consultee response, with the clerk to update and submit the council’s position statement:

Saxilby with Ingleby Parish Council – Position Statement

Solar Farm Proposal

This position statement sets out Saxilby with Ingleby Parish Council and wider community view on the principle of large ground-mounted solar PV developments and identifies planning issues that should be considered by the planning authority.

About Saxilby with Ingleby

Saxilby with Ingleby is a rural historic parish with the villages of Saxilby and Ingleby making up most of the built up area. Several historic buildings remain in Saxilby with Ingleby which span the centuries: St Botolph’s Church (C12th), Saxilby Old Hall (C15th), the Manor Farm House (C16th) and several cottages (C18th).

The Fossdyke canal is the oldest artificial waterway in the country, connecting the River Trent at Torksey to the River Till at Odder. The Fossdyke has influenced village life in Saxilby with Ingleby significantly throughout the past two millennia. These historic features are brought together within the Bridge Street Conversation Area.

The rest of the parish is rural and is located within the rolling arable landscape of the Till Vale, a stretch of land which runs north south radiating out from the River Till and is bounded to the west by the River Trent and to the east by the abrupt escarpment of Lincoln Cliff, a Jurassic limestone cliff.

Our View

This Statement sets out a number of considerations to ensure that any schemes for ground-mounted solar PV which come forward:

a) Are adequately justified;

b) Are of an appropriate scale and location;

c) Respect local landscape, heritage and visual amenity;

d) Assess the cumulative impacts.

The government’s drive for a zero carbon economy by 2050 is supported by the Parish Council which itself has a set of environment related objectives upon which local decisions are based. The parish council considers that appropriate renewable energy infrastructure and technology form a central part to achieving this goal.

However, the parish council also believe that the right balance needs to be achieved between the scale and location of renewable energy infrastructure and losing valued landscapes and biodiversity. Not all of this infrastructure should be provided within a single area. The impacts of such infrastructure should be spread across the country and in areas where it causes the least impacts to the environment and communities.

To help manage the impacts of renewable energy developments, Paragraph 155 (a) and (b) of the National Planning Policy Framework states that Local Plans should:

• ‘provide a positive strategy for energy from these sources, that maximises the potential for suitable development, while ensuring that adverse impacts are addressed satisfactorily (including cumulative landscape and visual impacts)’; and

• ‘consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low carbon energy sources, and supporting infrastructure, where this would help secure their development’.

The Central Lincolnshire Local Plan 2023 fails to identify any ‘preferred’ locations for solar energy developments and therefore doesn’t provide the framework for guiding such large-scale schemes.

This lack of local guidance contributes towards the continuation of an ‘unplanned’ approach to large scale renewable energy infrastructure across Central Lincolnshire leading to further vulnerability to the environment and a set of cumulative landscape related issues in the future.

The parish council works to ensure renewable energy projects are carried out, in a way that minimises impacts on our environment and community and makes sure that the communities who host such schemes benefit directly from them.

A recent increase in applications for large solar farms within the wider area has

increased the potential for cumulative negative impact on the rural flat and historic landscape around Saxilby. The West Lindsey Landscape Character Assessment (WLLCA), published in 1999, provides a detailed assessment of the special character, distinctiveness and qualities of the various landscape types found across the district.

At a strategic level, it divides West Lindsey into four Broad Landscape Character Areas in respect of scale, geology, topography, land-cover and settlement pattern. Within these categories, Saxilby falls into the Trent Valley grouping. Low-lying predominantly agricultural and historic landscapes of strong rural character, with large, flat, open fields and hedgerows providing enclosure to roads typify this wider Trent Valley area with pockets of woodland scattered intermittently.

Due to the flatter nature of the landscape, there are key sightlines and views across the wider area to the power stations along the River Trent to the west and Lincoln Cathedral to the east as identified within the Saxilby Character Assessment 2017. All of which are sensitive to radical and rapid change or intensive development.

This application stretches far beyond the boundary of Saxilby with Ingleby and affects other historic settlements all of which have significant heritage assets. The impact of such a scale of development will lead to a concentration of solar panel infrastructure and, in some locations, nearly an unbroken sea of artificial structures and reflective glare.

The environmental objective of developing renewable energy through large solar farms should not come at the expense of the beauty, character, biodiversity and tranquillity of the countryside, especially in those flatter, more open landscapes where more industrial developments are harder to hide or more difficult to mitigate. In fact, it is difficult to envisage how such a scheme can be mitigated.

This part of Lincolnshire provides a significant contribution towards food production for the wider economy. In fact, Lincolnshire is widely known as the ‘Bread Basket’ of the UK due to the quantity (12%) of food produced and the quality of its agricultural land. Agriculture forms the backbone of the local economy and contributes significantly towards the rural character of the parish and wider area.

The proposed loss of this agricultural land across the area which is mostly Grade 1, 2 and 3a will ultimately change agricultural practices and the agricultural history of the parish and wider area forever. Grade 1, 2 and 3a farmland is in itself a major renewable energy resource as well as supporting the supply of food, and is defined as being ‘the Best and Most Versatile (BMV) agricultural land in the NPPF.

It is undesirable to take one renewable energy resource out of effective use in order to develop another.

Poorer quality land, brownfield land or retrofitting existing building roof-space should be used in preference to higher quality land, and the BMV agricultural land (grades 1, 2 and 3a) should be avoided. Where possible and viable, agricultural activity and other environmental/land management services should be able to continue.

The wide open greenfield land supports an abundance of wildlife. The network of waterways, woodlands and hedgerows are home to a number of native species. These habitats are sensitive to change and provide a series of green corridors for animals to move between habitats.

The parish council will not support large scale solar PV arrays on sites with high ecological importance. Solar PV arrays will have implications for habitat loss, fragmentation and modification and for displacement of species. The NPPF sets out the approach to ecology in the planning process through a number of guiding principles. The potential impact from all stages of the development, including construction, operation and decommissioning stages, will need to be addressed.

Ecological impact assessments, including specific protected species surveys, may need to be submitted to inform planning decisions. These should follow best practice guidelines and refer to the Natural England Standing Advice. They should also inform and influence the design to ensure potential adverse impacts are mitigated and to maximise biodiversity enhancement opportunities to encourage more wildlife to thrive within the area and protect those species that are endangered.

The implementation of an ecological mitigation/management/monitoring plan can result in Solar PV arrays delivering environmental gains such as the creation of enhanced wildlife habitats including wildflower meadows, hedgerows and woodland buffers.

However, these may not always be appropriate in terms of landscape character and advice should be sought from the district and other relevant authorities when preparing these plans.

Solar farms will impact nearby residents and the wider local community hosting the development. Concerns about loss of amenity, visual impact including glint and glare from panels, and linked to this road safety, will need to be appropriately considered as part of determining the acceptability of the development.

There are also health impacts associated with such schemes where lithium battery storage facilities are being proposed such as fire, noise and air pollution.

The parish council consider that adequate public consultation should take place. The developers have not met with the parish council. The parish council considers that community involvement should be an integral part of the development process. The local community should be consulted by the developer at the conceptual stage with more than just a couple of meetings, ideally utilising local exhibitions and presentations where community views can be sought and recorded.

To support this statement, the parish council has held a public meeting to seek residents’ views.

The opportunities for community gain are encouraged and should be explored as part of developing projects. Such opportunities can include:

• Establishing a Community Benefits Trust with funds being contributed annually by the developer for local projects for the lifetime of the project.

• Local or community ownership of panels.

• Local share issue.

• Investment in green infrastructure such as public rights of way provision and management.

Conclusion

Saxilby with Ingleby Parish Council is in principle not supportive of the installation of a large scale solar farm within the vicinity.

Development should be appropriate to the locality and avoid adverse planning and environmental impacts. The parish council does not consider that the need for renewables should automatically override environmental protections and an application will only be supported if the impact is or can be made acceptable.

As a preference, the Parish Council supports solar arrays mounted on existing roofs or integrated into new roofs/buildings. Developments on previously developed and/or contaminated and industrial land are also preferable. Community owned projects would be particularly welcomed. The parish council will not support the development of large scale Solar PV arrays in areas identified for their special character or other importance.

The parish council does not support large scale solar PV arrays on sites with ecological importance, archaeological or historic interest, or classified as the best and most versatile grades of agricultural land (1, 2, and 3a).

For greenfield proposals outside of protected areas, the parish council expect proposals to demonstrate the landscape’s suitability to receive such a development. Proposals must show how the design of the scheme has accounted for landscape character.

Developments should avoid both landscape and visual impacts or demonstrate appropriate mitigation. In addition, land management around panels should allow for continued agricultural use and/or encourage biodiversity improvements.

In formulating its views on proposals, the parish council has regard to cumulative impacts of multiple solar arrays on landscape character and visual amenity. The impact from a single development when combined with other impacts from similar developments could have a much wider impact within the area.

The consultation and involvement of local communities should be an integral part of the development process and provide clear and meaningful engagement with all sectors of the community.

P24/115 29. WL/2024/00413 Planning application to erect grain store building at Castle Farm, Cowdale Lane, Sturton by Stow, Lincoln, LN1 2PL.

Having been proposed (Cllr J Willox) and seconded (Cllr Waller), it was RESOLVED that the consultee comments are:

The council support the application in-line with NDP policy 7, 8a, and 8b and encourage the installation of solar panels on roof of the store.

P24/116 30. To agree a pre-application consultation response to One Earth Solar Farm for a proposed solar farm and battery storage facility covering around 3,950 acres on the border of Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, with a grid connection at High Marnham

Having been proposed (Cllr Hillman) and seconded (Cllr Saunders), it was RESOLVED to:

1. Note more information is required to make a more detailed response, as the specific location etc was not available. Officers to seek further information.

2. A webinar is available before July full council. Clerk to book onto the advertised webinar and cllrs to view and add back to agenda.

3. To use the solar position statement as the basis of the initial consultee response, with the clerk to update and submit: