Agenda item

The Planning Officer introduced the report and reported that this item had been considered by the Committee in April 2017 at which time the Committee was minded to approve but deferred so the applicant could submit a Woodland Management Plan to address the ecological and arboricultural concerns raised by PDNPA specialists as well as provide details of protective fencing to overcome the objection raised by Sport England.  Their objections have been overcome by agreed mitigation measures in the form of moveable fencing, however the Woodland Management Plan submitted still didn’t answer the concerns raised regarding ecological issues and the impact on trees. 

The following spoke under the Public Participation Scheme:

·                Sarah Porter, Clerk to Baslow Parish Council, Supporter

·          Tony Buckham, Local Resident and Chairman, Sports Field, Supporter

·                David Dawson, Local Resident, Member of the Parish Council and Chair of the Woodland Working Group, Supporter

Members were concerned that this application was recommended for refusal as they had supported the proposals last year and deferred it for officers to work with the applicant to overcome the objections of Sport England and agree a management plan to overcome the arboricultural and ecological concerns.  A motion for approval subject to statutory conditions, contrary to the officer recommendation, was moved and seconded.

Officers suggested that the moveable boundary fence required as part of the Sport England mitigating measures needed to be controlled by a legal agreement and not by conditions as the land was not within the applicant’s ownership.  Alternatively, this could be by unilateral undertaking, however in response to Members’ queries, officers stated that a Grampian Condition may be possible to cover the submission of a fencing and management scheme to be submitted for approval before the area came into use.