MINUTES OF A PLANNING MEETING - 16 DECEMBER 2014

MARK PARISH COUNCIL

MINUTES of a Planning Meeting of Mark Parish Council held at Mark Village Hall on

Tuesday, 16^th December 2014 at 6.30 p.m.

Present:- Councillors Mrs D Bayliss, S. Emary, G Francis, Mrs C Gibson, M. Schollar and Mrs J Weekes

Apologies:- N Van der Bijl, Mrs E Corkish,

In Attendance:-  16 members of the community.

___________________________________________________________________________

1. Declarations of interest - None

2. Comments Planning applications :

The Chairman adjourned the meeting to allow Mr Mark Johnson, Mr Martyn Puddy, Mr Mike Patten and Mr Peter Read to address members about application 1/07/14/025 Anaerobic Digestion Plant at Harp Road

The Chairman reconvened the meeting

Somerset CC Application No. 1/07/14/025.

Comment:   See appendix

Planning application 33/14/00050

• Location: Old Homestead Farm, Kingsway, Mark
• Application: Two-storey rear extension and single-storey side extension.
• Applicant:  Mr & Mrs A Palmer
• Comment: No Observations.

Planning application 33/14/00051

• Location: Jacks Barn, Southwick Road, Mark.
• Application: Erection of rear extension and double garage
• Applicant: Mr & Mrs N Skelly
• Comment: No Observations.

3. Issues that should be reported to enforcement at Sedgemoor District Council - None

4. Any other matters that members consider needed to be discussed - Cllr Mrs D Bayliss and Members expressed their concern about the posters regarding the Anaerobic Digestion Plant planning application that had been placed around the village and especially the poster hung on the Grade 2 listed iron bridge by The White Horse. Cllr Bayliss agreed to talk with the person who had put the one on the Bridge and ask that they remove it.

Meeting closed at 07.34pm

Appendix

Mark Parish Council

Somerset CC Planning Application No: 1/07/14/025

At a meeting of Mark Parish Council consideration was given to the above planning application and after  receiving representations from several residents of Mark Parish the Council decided to OBJECT to the application for the following reasons.

• We do not consider that the site is a suitable location for this type of development as at present it is a field in the open countryside which has been a smallholding for several years, used for running a flock of sheep and chickens. The industrial nature of the development will constitute an obvious man-made intrusion into the countryside contrasting with the rural setting.
• The distinctive nature of the open countryside is highly valued by those who live or visit the area and this industrial development would be isolated and out of keeping with the surrounding countryside and does not reflect the local landscape character. We consider that it would be detrimental to the scenic qualities of the area when viewed from publicly accessible vantage points.
• The scale of this industrial development will have a significant negative impact on the  amenity value of, by overshadowing, an adjacent house "Westways" which is located just 30m away from the development and we consider that it will have a negative impact on the business of the tourist caravan park that is located 150m away at Westbrook Farm and which contributes to the local tourist economy.
• We have serious concerns about the impact on local residents from the environmental factors of Odour and Noise which will be generated by this Industrial development. Current evidence from Anaerobic Digestion plants operating locally in Somerset and North Somerset confirm that Odour and Noise are unacceptable issues for local residents. The plant at Cannington still omits odour some six years after it was built as does the plant at Langford. The common direction of local prevailing winds we believe will carry this Odour and Noise in the direction of the village of Mark which is located across open countryside from the proposed industrial development site resulting in a negative impact on residents of Mark.
• The development site is located in a Flood Zone 3 location and local residents have indicated that the site has suffered flooding in recent years. Any spillage from the site, which is not contained, will have a negative impact on the watercourses which cross and flow through the local flat country landscape surrounding the site.
• We are very concerned about the highway network serving this proposed development. It is located on Harp Road a very busy narrow country lane. Harp Road and other approach roads by reason of their restricted width and poor alignment are we consider unsuitable to serve as a means of access to the proposed development. Harp road has for many years been an accident black spot in Mark with accidents occurring on a regular basis. Testament to this has been the need by a local farmer on several occasions to pull cars from the Rhynes running alongside Harp Road. Police have been involved with some of these accidents. As the site will not in itself be generating the bulk of the material to fuel the Bio-digester this will need to be brought by heavy vehicles along Harp Road with delivery vehicles serving the site required to turn into and exit the site at a narrow part on Harp Road. Inevitably the result in the increase of heavy vehicle traffic serving the site along Harp Road from the direction of Mark Causeway and also the Fox and Goose junction from A38 will result in an increased hazard to vehicles using Harp Road.
• Mark Parish Council has spoken to local farmers in Mark who have told the Council that they would not propose to use the Anaerobic Digester Plant as they need slurry and will continue to spread it on their own fields. As already stated the bulk of the materials to fuel the plant will need to be delivered to the site by heavy vehicles resulting in an increase in heavy vehicle movements along Harp road.
• As stated previously Harp Road is a narrow country lane with drainage ryhnes/ditches running along its length on each side of the lane. There is currently a severe problem with the damage caused to the road bed and surface of Harp Road by heavy vehicles running close to the edge of the lane, alongside the rhyne, resulting in the collapse of the road bank into the rhyne. Inevitably the increase of heavy vehicle traffic serving the site along Harp Road will result in an increase in damage to the banks alongside Harp Road.

In conclusion Mark Parish Council considers that the proposed development is not appropriate for the proposed locality in open countryside and would be better sited at an existing industrial brown field complex with good existing heavy vehicle road access, or on a farm complex with existing large buildings, thus reducing the impact on the countryside.

Mark PC December 16th 2014

cc: Sedgemoor DC

      Cllr John Denbee

      Cllr David Huxtable