MINUTES OF THE PLANNING AND GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE

HELD AT EPPING HALL ON TUESDAY 23rd OCTOBER 2007

 

PRESENT       Councillors: K. Avey (Chairman); Miss O D Dunseath (Vice Chairman); Miss M Starling; J.A. Smith; R Macrae; J Lewis and B.D. Murphy (Deputy Town Mayor)

 

IN ATTENDANCE     Mrs J Hedges

           

OFFICER        Bob Whittome (Town Clerk)

 

 

219.     APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

 

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr. Hines.

 

220.     CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES

 

The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday, 9th October 2007, were confirmed.

 

221.     DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

 

No Member declared an interest in any item of this agenda.

 

222.     REPORTS AND INFORMATION NOT REQUIRING A DECISION OF COMMITTEE

 

Cllr Macrae advised Members of an impending application for change of use to a wine bar by the hairdressers adjacent to St John’s Church.  Cllr Miss Dunseath advised Members of complaints by local taxi operators about unlicensed cabs operating in the district.  The Town Clerk undertook to pass this complaint to the district council’s licensing team.

 

223.     PLANNING APPLICATIONS

 

Three applications for planning permission were considered and the plans inspected. 

 

EPF/2063/07

Footpath outside 170 High St Mr Martin McNamara

Advertisement Measuring 1710mm x 1160mm on payphone kiosk

Committee object to this application because a footway advertisement will be unacceptably intrusive in Epping’s conservation area.

 

 

EPF/2123/07

17 Lynceley Grange

Mr and Mrs I Gillan

Two storey extensions to side and rear, detached garage and elevational changes

 

Committee considered letters of objection from Ms Dowsett and Mr Lewis.

 

Committee object to this application because it represents a considerable overdevelopment of the site and would result in a building which would have a detrimental effect on the street scene.  The proposal would also result in the loss of amenity to neighbouring properties.  The revisions to the original application do not appear to address either the town council’s or the district council’s concerns over the scale of the proposals.

 

 

EPF/2152/07

TPO/6/83

33 St Alban’s Road

Coopersale

Mrs Sarah Jolly

Fell 2 Hornbeam; re-pollard 1 hornbeam

Committee have no objections to this application provided all work is carried out under the supervision of the district council’s arboriculturist.

 

224.     EXPANSION OF INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE SPRING 2007 PUBLIC CONSULTATION STANSTED GENERATION 2 AIRPORT ACCESS FROM M11 & A120 & M11 JUNCTION 6-8 IMPROVEMENTS

 

Following a brief discussion by Members, Committee RESOLVED to make the following comments:

 

Committee is concerned about the funnel effect which is created beyond Stansted by widening the motorway only as far as Stansted.  Committee are also concerned at the loss of valuable Greenbelt land which is gradually being squandered by a multitude of schemes.  Committee believe that a much greater focus on rail travel should be pursued with a view to removing the excessive numbers of freight vehicles from the highway.  

 

225      POST OFFICE CLOSURES

 

Members briefly discussed the proposed loss of the post offices in Allnuts Road and Lindsey St and RESOLVED to inform the post office that Council strongly opposes the closures on the following grounds: 

 

The loss has been engineered by central governments policy of removing a number of valuable services from the post office system.  This situation has engineered a situation where financial economies have become more important than providing a public service. 

 

The proposals take no account of the important role post offices play in defining cohesive communities and will be detrimental to the viability of small retail facilities increasing the isolation of small communities from local service provision.   

 

The increasing numbers of independent elderly people will need more local sources of expert help in dealing with postal and government administration systems which are becoming steadily more complex and dependent on new technology.

 

There is little evidence of improvements to public transport for outlying communities. Therefore the proposals will work against initiatives to create sustainable and inclusive communities by increasing reliance on car transport, particularly for the young, the elderly and the disabled.

 

226      EFDC PLANNING DECISIONS

 

Committee NOTED the decisions of Epping Forest District Council Area Planning Sub-Committee East.

 

GRANTED:  

EPF/1473/07

Revised application

 

LB/EPF/1474/07

Revised application

EPF/1668/07

EPF/1551/07

EPF/1652/07

 

 

EPF/1802/07

 

 

REFUSED:

A/EPF/1738/07

EPF/1748/07

Amendment

EPF/1919/07

EPF/1662/07