Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence intimated.

There were no declarations of interest intimated.

Following the Local Review Body meeting held on 22 November 2017 the Local Review Body held an accompanied site visit at 32 Macleod Drive at 9.30am on Tuesday 19 December 2017.  A note of the site visit is attached at Appendix 1 to this Minute.  The Local Review Body reconvened at 10.45am within the Victoria Halls, Sinclair Street, Helensburgh following the site visit.

 

The Chair welcomed everyone to the reconvened meeting of the Local Review Body and introductions were made.  He explained that no person present would be entitled to speak other than the Members of the Local Review Body and Mr Reppke who would provide procedural advice if required.

 

He advised that his first task would be to establish if the Members of the Local Review Body felt that they had sufficient information before them to come to a decision on the Review.  Both Councillor Devon and Councillor Blair advised that they felt they now had sufficient information to come to a decision on the review.

 

Councillor Kinniburgh advised that he would like further information before he could come to a decision on the review.  He advised that he would like a written submission from the Planning Authority detailing plot sizes along and up the hill from Macleod Drive and how they relate to the plot size of the development site in question.  He also advised it would be useful to obtain suggested conditions and reasons from the Planning Authority should the Local Review Body be minded to grant the application.  This was agreed by Councillor Devon and Councillor Blair.

 

Decision

 

The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body -

 

1.    Agreed to request the following further written submissions from the Planning Authority –

 

1)    Detail of the plot sizes along Macleod Drive and on the hill to the left of Macleod Drive; and how the plot sizes relate to the plot size of the development site.

 

2)    Suggested conditions and reasons to accompany an approval of the application should the local review body be so minded.

 

2.    Agreed to reconvene the Local Review Body meeting on a suitable date once further written submissions had been received and interested parties had been given the opportunity to comment.

 

 

Appendix A

 

ARGYLL AND BUTE LOCAL REVIEW BODY

 

NOTE OF MEETING OF SITE INSPECTION RE CASE 17/0008/LRB

32 MACLEOD DRIVE, HELENSBURGH

  TUESDAY 19 DECEMBER 2017

 

 

In attendance: Councillor David Kinniburgh (Chair)

                                    Councillor Gordon Blair

                                    Councillor Mary Jean Devon

                                    Charles Reppke, Head of Governance and Law (Adviser)

                                    Howard Young, Planning Authority

                                    Lawrence Hill, Applicant

                                    Stephen Cameron, Applicant’s Agent

                                    Elizabeth Jamieson, Objector

                                    Ian Jamieson, Objector

                                    Hazel MacInnes, Committee Services Officer (Minutes)

                                                                       

 

The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body agreed on 22 November 2017 to conduct an accompanied site inspection in order to view the site and how the proposed development would fit into the site. 

 

The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body convened on 19 December 2017 at 32 Macleod Drive, Helensburgh.  The Chair welcomed everyone to the site visit and introductions were made.  The Chair explained the procedure that would be followed and invited Members to ask questions.

 

Councillor Blair asked to see the plan which showed the proposal.  Mr Cameron showed Members where the house would sit on the site, where the access would be and showed where the hedge would be removed.

 

Councillor Kinniburgh asked Mr Young to confirm that the window to window distance of 16.4m was sufficient.  Mr Young confirmed that the Local Development Plan stated that there should be a distance of 18m from window to window.

 

Councillor Kinniburgh then asked Mr Young to confirm that the opaque window on the first storey was a bathroom window and not a window from a landing which was stated in the report of handling.  Mr Young confirmed that it was a bathroom window.  Councillor Kinniburgh asked Mr Young if the development would then be acceptable.  Mr Young told him that there were still overlooking issues and the fact that the development was out with the linear pattern of one plot depth houses.

 

Mr Cameron commented that the window to window distance of 18m applied only to habitual rooms therefore it did not apply to the development as the opaque window was a bathroom window.

 

Councillor Devon commented that the existing surrounding houses were in close proximity to one another.  

 

The Argyll and Bute Local Review Body walked to the back of the property to view the site and surrounding area from the rear of the property and then walked to the left hand side of the property to view the pattern of the properties along Macleod Drive.

 

Councillor Kinniburgh asked Mr Young for his opinion on why there was the single plot pattern.  Mr Young advised that the plots followed the road and that the development would create a two tier arrangement which was out with the current pattern.

 

Mr Cameron commented that there would be a different access to both the existing property and to the proposed development.  The Chairman and Mr Reppke reminded the meeting that it was not a debate and parties should only respond to questions.

 

The site visit concluded at 9.45am.