Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Judith Boothman, Marie Gray, Peter Malpas and John Walker

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda. If the interest arises only as result of your membership of another public body or one to which you have been appointed by the Council then you only need to declare it if you intend to speak.

If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

None of the Committee Members declared an interest in the principal agenda item.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 3 March 2008 (enclosed).

RESOLVED - That the minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 3 March 2009 were confirmed as a correct record for signature by the Chair.

The Development Control Committee, at its meeting on 3 March 2009, recommended the General Purposes Committee to grant outline planning permission for the demolition and clearance of an existing warehouse and outbuildings on the site of the former Depot at Friday Street, Chorley and for the erection of a proposed two storey primary health care centre (Use Class D1), including ancillary office accommodation.

As the application site is owned by Chorley Council, the decision on the planning application will need to made by, or on behalf of, the Council.  The Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust requires the planning permission before 31 March 2009 to enable its completion of the purchase of the land before the end of the current financial year. As the full Council is not due to meet before this deadline, the General Purposes Committee is being requested to exercise its delegated urgency power.

A copy of the report of the Corporate Director (Business) presented to the 3 March meeting of the Development Control Committee, together with an extract from the addendum note circulated at the meeting, is attached so that Councillors have the opportunity of assessing the detailed report before making a decision on the recommendation.

The Committee is, therefore, requested to consider the Development Control Committee’s recommendations:

(1)          that outline permission be granted to Planning Application 09/00044/OUTMAJ, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement to secure a financial contribution towards Chorley Kickstart to improve public transport accessibility to and from the Health Centre and to the imposition of the conditions outlined in both the attached report of the Corporate Director (Business) and the addendum note;

(2)          that outline planning permission be refused in the event of the Section 106 Agreement not being signed by 24 April 2009. 

The Committee was reminded that the Development Control Committee, at its meeting on 3 March 2009, had considered an application for outline planning permission for the demolition and clearance of an existing warehouse and out buildings on the site of the former depot at Friday Street, Chorley and for the erection of a proposed two storey primary health care centre (Use Class D1), including ancillary office accommodation.  Following due consideration of the proposal, the Development Control Committee had recommended the General Purpose Committee to grant outline permission for the development.

As the Friday Street site was owned by Chorley Council, the decision on the planning application was required to be made by, or on behalf of, the Council.  The Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust required the planning permission before 31 March 2009 in order to enable its completion of the purchase of the land before the end of the 2008/09 financial year.  As the full Council was not due to meet until 7 April 2009, the General Purposes Committee had been requested to use its delegated power to exercise any function of the Council in cases of urgency or emergency.

The Committee had been provided with a copy of the Corporate Director (Business)’ report on the development proposals that had been considered by the Development Control Committee on 3 March 2009, together with an extract from the addendum note circulated at the meeting, in order to allow Councillors the opportunity of assessing all the relevant factors before making a decision on Development Control Committee’s recommendations.

Decision -     That in accordance with the General Purpose Committee delegated urgency powers:

(a)       outline planning permission be granted to Planning Application 09/00044/OUTMAJ for the demolition and clearance of an existing warehouse and outbuildings on the site of the former Depot at Friday Street, Chorley and the erection of a two storey primary health care centre (Use Class D1), including ancillary office accommodation, subject to the completion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement to secure a financial contribution towards Chorley Kickstart to improve public transport accessibility to and from the Health Centre and to the imposition of the following conditions:

1. An application for approval of the reserved matters (namely layout, external appearance of the buildings and landscaping of the site) must be made to the Council before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission and the development hereby permitted must be begun two years from the date of approval of the last of the reserved matters to be approved.

Reason: Required to be imposed by Section 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 as amended by Section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2. The application for approval of reserved matters shall be accompanied by full details of existing and proposed ground levels and proposed building slab levels (all relative to ground levels adjoining the site), notwithstanding any such detail shown on previously submitted plans.  The development shall only be carried out in conformity with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.