Agenda item

Recommendation: Conditional approval.

Councillor Tim Holton declared a personal interest and left the meeting after hearing the planning officer’s report and did not take part in the vote.

Proposal: Full application for amendment to planning permission F/2014/2196 to approved sports and physiotherapy clinic building, involving reorientation, redesign, improved landscaping and parking provision.

Applicant:Mr John Fisher, Holme Park Sports and Leisure

The Committee received and reviewed a report about this application, set out in Agenda pages 131 to 158.

Councillor Ian Runnells, representing Sonning Parish Council, spoke in objection to the application.  He described the current proposal as a leap from the previous building and expressed concern that it amounted to urbanisation of the countryside.

David Beilby, owner of a neighbouring residential property, spoke in objection to the application and presented diagrams showing how the new location for the car park went right across the back of his garden. He also raised that there was a covenant that had restricted him objecting to previous applications.

Tony Thorpe, Agent, spoke in favour of the application.  He stated that there would be a 10m buffer between the car park and the boundary of the neighbour’s property.

Mike Haines, Local Ward Member, spoke to the application and stated that he had no problem with the hyperbaric chamber treatment but it was proposed in the wrong location, Sonning being a conservation area.

Members asked about the size and height of the proposed building.  The Chairman stated that the area and volume of the current proposal were slightly smaller than the previous application and the height was the same as the current building.

Responding to concerns about the safety of gases and equipment on the site, Clare Lawrence, Head of Development Management and Regulatory Services, said that it would be controlled by other legislation and that this is not a planning issue. Also, the covenant referred to by the neighbour is not a planning matter and the previous planning applications will have been determined on their planning merits.

Members asked about the car park and its potential effect on neighbours.  The Planning Officer stated that the 10m buffer would involve a mix of mid and high level plants and the use of lighting would be controlled by condition 13.

RESOLVED: That application No. 153301 be approved, subject to the conditions set out on Agenda pages 131 to 134.

Councillor Tim Holton rejoined the meeting after the vote on this item.