Minutes:
The Head of Planning Services presented this application for an equestrian arena.
He recommended that a further clause was inserted into the proposed section 106 agreement preventing the use of the arena for large scale shows/competitions or other events, in the interests of minimising the amount of traffic that visited the site. However, the applicants were anxious that the wording of any agreement should not prevent the showing of horses for sale at the arena. The Committee was advised that no more than 5 or 6 people would view sales at any one time.
The recommendation was for approval with the proposed addition to the section 106 agreement regarding the number of people viewing sales at any one time.
Councillor Hobden attended the meeting and spoke on this item having given notice under Standing Order No. 44. She made the following points:-
· concerned that this proposal would increase traffic and affect the use of Bridleway 8 and Exeter Green Circular Route
· welcomed the additional clauses to the section 106 agreement but how would this be enforced?
Mr Gallios spoke in opposition to the application, he circulated a plan of the present and proposed development together with an aerial photograph of the site. He made the following points:-
· ½ mile of the Bridleway 8 ran along the track to Rollestone Farm
· local riders had favoured this route as it was safe and away from traffic, but in the last 2 years traffic had increased and this proposal would further acerbate the traffic problem
· the applicants had failed to comply with a previous planning permission that had required trees to be planted around the building erected in 2005.
Mr Firth (agent) spoke in support of the application. He made the following points:-
· the applicants were agreeable to entering into a section 106 agreement
· planting would take place after the arena had been erected
· landscaping and planting had been undertaken so far as possible in line with the conditions of the permission given in August 2005.
In answer to a Member’s question the Head of Planning Services confirmed that the planning permission in August 2005 had a planting condition.
Members raised concerns regarding the non-compliance with an earlier planning approval in relation to the planting/landscaping condition, controlling events such as competitions and shows, and limiting the number of people visiting to view sales.
The Head of Planning Services confirmed that the nature of the events and limits on the number of people visiting the site to view sales could be controlled by the way of a section 106 agreement.
RESOLVED that planning permission for a multipurpose equestrian arena, be refused for the following reason:
1) The access route to the site is by reason of its inadequate width, poor horizontal and vertical alignment is unsuitable to accommodate the increase in traffic likely to be generated with consequent risk of additional danger to all users of the route, contrary to Policy TR10 of the Devon County Structure Plan. The Local Planning Authority is not satisfied that conditions or a planning obligation would be effective to prevent such an increase in traffic.