Agenda and decisions

There were no apologies for absence.

To receive declarations of Members disclosable pecuniary interests and conflicts of interest.

There were no declarations of interest.

Councillor Bob Sleigh requested to speak on application 2015/51409 – Proposed Motorway Service Area, Solihull Road, Catherine-de-Barnes and Councillor Ken Meeson on application 2016/02754 – Land Adjacent J4 M42 Box Tree Farm, Stratford Road, Hockley Heat

No questions or deputations received.

Refused against the recommendation on the following grounds

1. The proposed development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The motorway service station proposal would cause harm by definition to the Green Belt, significant harm to openness and to the character and appearance of the Green Belt, to the purposes of including land within it, namely the coalescence of Catherine-de-Barnes with Hampton in Arden and encroachment of development into the countryside and other harm, which includes the significant harm to the character and appearance of the area that carries substantial weight and loss of agricultural land which attracts moderate weight. The very special circumstances put forward by the applicant in support of the proposal do not clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and the other harm resulting from the proposal. The proposed development is therefore contrary to Policy P17 of the Solihull Local Plan, guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework and the objective in the Hampton in Arden Neighbourhood Plan to safeguard the Green Belt within the Parish as an integral and important part of the local Arden landscape and heritage.

Mr David Cuthbert, Mr Nick Roberts, Mr Richard Lloyd, Parish Councillors Giles Cook, Mike Blomer (statement read out) and Ken Blanch (statement read out) and Councillor Bob Sleigh spoke against the application whilst Mr Paul Bedwell spoke in support.

Refused as per recommendation

1. The proposed development represents inappropriate development in the Green Belt. The motorway service station proposal would cause harm by definition to the Green Belt, significant harm to openness and to the character and appearance of the Green Belt, to the 3 of the 5 purposes of including land within the Green Belt and land use objectives and other harm. The very special circumstances put forward by the applicant in support of the proposal do not clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt by reason of inappropriateness and the other harm resulting from the proposal. The proposed development is therefore contrary to Policy P17 of the Solihull Local Plan, Policy VC1 of The Knowle, Dorridge and Bentley Heath Neighbourhood Plan and guidance in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Mr Paul Bedwell, Mr Marc Moran, Parish Councillor Ken Blanch (statement read out), and Councillor Ken Meeson spoke against the application whilst Mr Nick Roberts spoke in support.