Agenda and minutes

Copies of the following papers attached:-

There had been circulated copies of the request from Mr J M and R Bayne, per Ferguson Planning, 54 Island Street, Galashiels, to review the decision to refuse the planning application in respect of the erection of 2 No. dwellings for holiday let and associated infrastructure works on land north west of 4 Rink Farm Cottages, Galashiels. Included in the supporting papers were the Decision Notice; Notice of Review; officer’s report; consultations; and a list of relevant policies.  In an initial discussion of the proposals Members recognised the strength of the economic case that was put forward as part of the application for high class holiday accommodation on the proposed sites.  Their ensuing debate focused on whether that economic case was sufficient to outweigh any potential impact of the development on the landscape.  After lengthy discussion, a majority of Members were of the opinion that they could not make a decision on the application without a site visit.  There was no opposition to the proposal to defer consideration of the case to allow an unaccompanied site visit to take place.  

DECISION

AGREED that:-

(a)        the request for a review had been competently made in terms of Section 43A of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997; and

(b)       the review could not be considered without further procedure in the form of an unaccompanied site visit to take place on a date to be arranged.

Copies of the following papers attached:-

There had been circulated copies of the request from Cleek Poultry Ltd, The Tractor Shed, Kirkburn, Cardrona, to review the decision to refuse the planning application in respect of erection of poultry cold store/hay store in Field No 0328, Kirkburn, Cardrona.  Included in the supporting papers were the Decision Notice; Notice of Review; officer’s report; papers referred to in the report; consultations; and a list of relevant policies.  Members’ discussion focused on the potential visual impact of the proposed new building, which was an extension to a previously approved cold store building.  They noted that no business case had been submitted to support economic justification for the development and, with reference to the wide range of proposals that had previously been put forward for this piece of land, commented again on the need for the applicant to produce a masterplan to set out objectives in a coherent way for the smallholding.

DECISION

AGREED that:-

(a)        the request for a review had been competently made in terms of Section 43A of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997;

(b)       the review could be considered without the need for any further procedure on the basis of the papers submitted;

(c)        the proposal would be contrary to the Development Plan and that there were no other material considerations that would justify departure from the Development Plan; and

(d)       the officer’s decision to refuse the application be upheld for the reasons detailed in the Appendix to this Minute.