Planning Committee Meeting

29 May 2024

Hixon Parish Council
To: Planning Committee Councillors

Notice, Summons and Agenda for a Meeting of the Planning Committee on
29 May 2024 at 7pm in Hixon Memorial Hall

Agenda

AGENDA

Item Ref	Agenda Item	Report By
	Open Meeting
P001/24	To receive apologies	Chair
P002/24	To receive declaration of interest in any matter on the Agenda.	Chair
P003/24	To receive written applications for dispensations under the Localism Act 2011	Chair
P004/24	Consider minutes of previous meeting on March 19^th 2024	Chair
P005/24	To determine any items on the agenda considered to be of a private nature that should be discussed at the exclusion of the Public and Press, under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 1 (2).	Chair
P006/24	Close meeting for Public Participation.	Chair
P007/24	Reopen meeting	Chair
	Agenda Items
P008/24	Planning Applications (Applications received post publication of agenda may be considered in addition)
	24/38932/FUL Change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to care home for children (Use Class C2) 6 Sycamore Drive Hixon Stafford Staffordshire ST18 0FB	Chair

23^rd May 2024
Catherine Gill
Clerk to Hixon Parish Council

Minutes

Hixon Parish Council

Minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held at 7pm

on 29 May 2024 in Hixon Memorial Hall

In attendance for all or part of the meeting:

Cllr. S McKeown (Chair), Cllr. J Hughes, Cllr C Hilton

Apologies: Cllr. D Hever-Smith, Cllr. P Hopcroft

Officer present – Mrs C Gill (Clerk, RFO, Proper Officer)

Members of the public: ca. 30

Item Ref	Agenda Item	Report By
	Open Meeting
P001/24	Apologies received from see above.	–
P002/24	Declaration of interest in any matter on the Agenda.	None
P003/24	Written applications for dispensations under the Localism Act 2011	None
P004/24	Minutes of previous meeting on March 19^th 2024: Agreed, Chair made minor amendments.	Chair
P005/24	To determine any items on the agenda considered to be of a private nature that should be discussed at the exclusion of the Public and Press, under the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 1 (2).	None
	Agenda Items
P008/24	Planning Applications
	The Chair described how the meeting would be run and what role the Parish Council had in the decision making process for planning applications.
	24/38932/FUL Change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to care home for children (Use Class C2) 6 Sycamore Drive Hixon Stafford Staffordshire ST18 0FB: Documents displayed and talked through by the Clerk.	Chair
P006/24	Close meeting for Public Participation.
	Summary of comments made:
	What is the background of the children? Will they have behavioural issues? One resident has a son with issues and lived in a house without close neighbours to avoid causing a nuisance to other people. The house has a restrictive covenant in the deeds to prevent it being used for business purposes. If this is broken will it lead to other people breaking it? There is nothing for teenagers to do in Hixon and public transport is limited with no transport in the evening or on Sundays. There is no public transport to the catchment area doctor in Great Haywood. Parking on the road nearby is very limited as there is a speed hump outside and the road often has cars parked on it already, both sides of the road. The entrance to the estate is quite narrow. Emergency services may not be able to get onto the estate with more cars parked there. Person living opposite is disabled and there is frequently a wheelchair taxi/ambulance/carer’s vehicle on the road outside the house. The mini roundabout at the entrance to the estate is dangerous and there have been frequent near-misses. No. 6 is likely to have a lot of visitors (taxis, social services/workers etc.) leading to more traffic and parking problems. School children walk through the estate on the way to school. These children will probably create noise – there are night workers and the disabled person has seizures if disturbed. Crime is going up in Hixon anyway, vandalism increasing – will having these children in Hixon may things worse? Why Hixon? Other areas are much more suitable with things to do, better transport etc. a quiet village is not suitable. Problem family was brought into family and has caused many problems. There is no police presence in Hixon. It would take a long time for police to come over from Stafford. The company behind the application are just trying to make money, using the house as an income generator. Would more houses in Hixon then be used as care homes? House prices would plummet. Would council tax be lowered accordingly? House insurance would go up. People won’t be able to sell their houses. Would the children be allowed out by themselves? If a Class 2 was allowed, would this cover Class 2a (prisons, detention centres etc.)?
P007/24	Reopen meeting
	24/38932/FUL Change of use from dwellinghouse (Use Class C3) to care home for children (Use Class C2) 6 Sycamore Drive Hixon Stafford Staffordshire ST18 0FB: The Chair ran through the permitted planning objections for the benefit of residents and gave details of where to find these online. The Chair said she would ask about the Class 2 and Class 2a position. The Chair confirmed that the information on residents’ deeds regarding not running a business from properties in Sycamore Drive estate was not a material planning consideration to object. Items on the properties deeds would be a private matter for residents. Decision of Planning Committee – the committee made a unanimous decision to object, the relevant planning objections being Traffic/Highways, Noise and Residential Amenity. The Committee also asked the Borough Councillor in attendance to Call-In the application. The Chair proposed the following words for the Call-In ‘To give SBC planning committee an opportunity to discuss the possible impact of this proposed change of use on nearby properties in this residential area’. Also, noise, parking amenities. Chair proposed the following objection: ‘Hixon Parish Council objects to this planning application for change of use because of concerns regarding the impact on nearby residential properties and would set an undesirable precedent if approval was granted.	Chair Clerk

Meeting ended 9pm