Minutes of a meeting of the Town Council's Planning/ Licensing Committee held in the Council Chamber, Windmill Lane, Northam on Wednesday 30 th September 2009.

PRESENT: Chairman - Cllr C K Langton

Members - Cllrs Mrs P D Biggs, B Edwards, P Hames, R H Osborne, S Robinson, R Tisdale and 22 parishioners

Apologies were recorded on behalf of Cllrs Mrs A Boyle, Mrs S Collins, Mrs M Cox, R Johnson

1. Minutes

The minutes of the Town Council's Planning/Licensing Committee held 16 th September 2009 were approved and signed.

(Vote: 6 For, 1 abst)

Cllr Tisdale made the following statement: -

“As both a Town and District Councillor I wish to make it clear that I will reconsider the matter(s) at the District level, taking into account all relevant evidence and representations at the District Council's Plans Committee.”

2. Planning applications

0733/09 Proposed conservatory -1 Pelican Close, Westward Ho! – RESOLVED - Recommend approval.

(Vote: Unanimous)

0874/09 Hybrid application for 19 new holiday lodges, club house, shop and bin store (Full application) and 70 bed care home (C2 use) (Outline application), internal highway works, incidental open space and associated works. Lenwood Country Club, Lenwood Road, Northam - RESOLVED - Recommend refusal – Committee is surprised the application has been accepted as valid as it seems a strange mix between care home and holiday use. The proposal would increase problems on sewage treatment, increase traffic flows along inadequate narrow lanes. The proposal is situated a long way from public transport. It would increase pressure on Doctors and Social Services and import people from outside the local area adding to the pressure on the already limited medical infrastructure. There is concern about damage to tree roots and under policy ECD6 the economic benefits need to be shown. With the known history of Lenwood and the uses to which the holiday lodges have been put it is thought that 19 new lodges would not be viable and the Council would also question whether the need for a 70 bed care home has been proven.

(Vote: 6 For, 1 abst)

0887/09 Proposed erection of conservatory -15 Pebble Close, Westward Ho! – RESOLVED – Recommend approval.

(Vote: Unanimous)

0888/09 Proposed extension to first floor bedroom and double garage extension - 2 St Teresa's Close, Northam – RESOLVED - Recommend approval.

(Vote: Unanimous)

3. Re-development of Appledore Methodist Church