Minutes of the extra meeting held on Tuesday 6th June 2006

 

Attendance:          Rob Dyer (RD) (Chair), Steve Walmsley (SW) (Vice Chair), Anne Morse-Jones (AMJ), Roger Button (RB),

Apologies:            Christopher Beynon (CB)

 

1.        Declaration of interests.  none

2.        Planning applications. 2005/0099 Plots next to Middleton Hall, Rhossili
RCC looked at the proposed plans and after consideration of all the correspondence that has been sent to SCC over the last 6-12 months regarding this application decided to comment as follows:

 

We are absolutely apposed to this retrospective planning permission application for the following reasons:

 

1. This is a highly visible development within the village and the height and positioning of the houses was agreed after much consultation and several site visits by both SCC and the Rhossili Community Council.  We see no need to allow unilateral changes to the agreed plans.

 

2. SCC Planning department and the developers were informed of the changes to the height and the positioning of the footings when they were first constructed.  It would have been relatively easy to change the footings to conform the passed plans at this stage.  You have to ask why this was not done.

 

3. The developers were warned by SCC that any further building on incorrect footings was done so at their own risk.

 

4. It is becoming all too apparent that within Rhossili and we believe throughout the AONB of Gower, planning applicants are now routinely using retrospective planning applications to get additions and changes, deliberately constructed in breach of existing planning permissions or conditions, to their developments that would not have been agreed when the original plans were submitted.  There is now an expectation that retrospective planning permission will be granted (i.e. the line of least resistance taken).  To curtail this unhealthy and counter-productive practice, enforcement of the original plans is needed.  Without this, the worth of the planning process is called into question.

presence on Mewslade Cottage; It would be a second tier of development without direct access to the main road.