Agenda item
- Meeting of Planning Committee, Thursday, 30th October, 2025 5.00 pm (Item 43.)
- View the background to item 43.
Proposed single storey day nursery.
Minutes:
Members were told that this application sought permission for the erection of a single storey building for use as a children’s day nursery with associated outside space and provision for parking on the site currently operated by Holland Football Club and located on Safeguarded Open Space.
The Committee was informed that the nursery would be capable of accommodating up to 75 children and 12 staff members with operating hours that would not conflict with the use of the football club.
Members heard that the proposal would result in the loss of some of the safeguarded open space at Eastcliff Playing Field and Space adjoining Gainsford Gardens; however, the loss was not considered by Officers to be detrimental to the community as a result of the current restricted use of the land. It was not considered by Officers to be harmful to the character and appearance of the area; it would not result in their opinion in any significant impact to the neighbouring amenities or adverse impacts on the highway safety and was deemed acceptable in all other respects.
The Committee had before it the published Officer report containing the key planning issues, relevant planning policies, planning history, any response from consultees, written representations received and a recommendation of approval.
At the meeting, an oral presentation was made by the Council’s Head of Planning and Building Control (JP-G) in respect of the application.
There were no updates circulated to Members on this occasion.
Mark Sorrell, the applicant, spoke in favour of the application.
|
Matters raised by Members of the Committee:- |
Officer’s response thereto:- |
|
If this was not a TDC property, would this application have come to this Committee? |
Probably not. There was a debate about the departure of the Local Plan because the Council did have a Safeguarding Open Space Policy on this site and when weighed up, this application does not offend the Policy, but Officers may have brought this application to the Committee for avoidance of doubt. |
|
Can Officers ensure that the football team and the nursery will not crossover? |
The Council does not have the ability to retrospectively impose conditions on the existing football club; Officers must work based on worst case scenario in the context of the existing operations. Officers do have the ability to control the proposed use further. In the Officer report (A.1), there are relevant conditions around how Officers wish the nursery use to operate with that in mind, that it is within the location proposed. There are conditions on opening hours, that the football club and nursery should operate separately from each other and so on; however, there could be a crossover, but it is also an enclosed site, and the nursery could secure the children in the building or secured outdoor area. In terms of the assessment, Officers felt that it could not be demonstrated that there would be a conflict that would justify refusal of the planning application. |
|
Are the coaches that will be going into the carpark in a specific place? |
For the walkway area, there are bollards in place for access to the nursery, which means that if cars were reversing, they will hit the bollards if they reverse further back than they should. When walking out to the car parking area itself, as with all carparks, people look out for each other. Officers have considered the carparking ratio and on the balance, with the Highways Authority as well, Officers do not believe that they could demonstrate material harm on highway grounds or parking grounds. |
|
Can the cars/coaches go all the way around the carpark to go out? |
To be able to have vehicles going all around the carpark to exit, there would be a loss of around 4 spaces. This carpark layout is a common layout. It is a preference rather than a material harm association with it. |
|
Why are the local representations within the report (A.1) but they are not on the portal? |
There has been a ‘mischievous’ representation made on a number of applications within the department and because of that activity, Officers took the application(s) off the portal temporarily. Officers do not have to have applications on the portal at all. The representations are material and are a part of the decision, but this is not the only application that this has happened to. |
It was moved by Councillor Bray, seconded by Councillor Goldman and:-
RESOLVED that:-
1) the Head of Planning and Building Control be authorised to grant planning permission, subject to the conditions as stated at paragraph 10.2 of the Officer report (A.1); the Head of Planning and Building Control reviewing the need for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Monitoring Conditions; or varied as is necessary to ensure the wording is enforceable, precise, and reasonable in all other respects, including appropriate updates, so long as the principle of the conditions as referenced is retained; and
2) the sending to the applicant of any informative notes as may be deemed necessary.
Supporting documents:
PDF 339 KB