Agenda and minutes

A webcast of the meeting can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrlN4_PKzPXjar7IOtLtNZvIwZ4xT_8yU

The minutes of the meeting held on 11 July 2024 were taken as read, confirmed and signed.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 34.

The Chief Executive reported that no questions had been received under Standing Order 7(3) and 7(5).

There were no urgent items for consideration.

The Chairman invited members who wished to do so to declare any interest in respect of items on the agenda for the meeting.

It was noted that all members who were also members of a Parish, Town or District Council, or Liaison Committee would have personal interests in those applications which relate to areas covered by those authorities.

No declarations were made.

The Chief Executive reported that no petitions had been received under Standing Order 35.

The Board considered a report of the Chief Executive, a copy of which, marked 'Agenda Item 7', is filed with these minutes.

The Chief Executive reported that the local member Mr. P. King CC had objected to the application on the basis that he had supported the proposal for a zebra crossing when the school application was first approved by the Board in August 2023 and he believed that when the school was full, there would be issues raised by residents and users of the school regarding crossing the road.

Board members supported the views of Mr King CC and raised concerns that it had not been identified earlier that there was not room for the zebra crossing at the proposed location due to the distances between the dropped kerbs. Members felt that there needed to be a pedestrian crossing somewhere on Airfield Road.

In response the Chief Executive explained that the issue had arisen due to the unfortunate way the planning system worked in that when planning permission was granted by Harborough District Council for the houses on Airfield Road consideration could not be given to the location of the access to the school or district centre as at that time no planning applications had been submitted confirming the new access points. The Chief Executive also reminded members that the zebra crossing was not a planning requirement and had only formed part of the proposed conditions for the school because the developer had offered to provide one. It was re-iterated to members that the use of the existing fixed pavement build-outs along Airfield Road was considered by the Local Highway Authority (Leicestershire County Council) to be a safe and satisfactory alternative.

RESOLVED:

That a decision on the application be deferred to a future meeting of the Board to enable officers to give consideration to whether there is an alternative location for the zebra crossing.

The Board considered a report of the Director of Environment and Transport, a copy of which, marked ‘Agenda Item 8’, is filed with these minutes.

With regards to an omission in the report relating to timescales, it was confirmed that application nos. 3 and 27 had been decided within the required timescale of 8 weeks.

In response to a question from a member it was confirmed that for the period 1 January 2024 – 31 June 2024 no applications relating to Tree Preservation Orders had been refused, however for the following period some applications had been refused.

RESOLVED:

That the contents of the report be noted.

The Chairman advised that the next meeting of the Board would take place on Thursday 21 November 2024 at 2.00pm.