Issue - meetings

The Committee considered the report of the Chief Planning Officer recommending that the above application for the demolition of all existing structures and erection of a Use Class E food store with new vehicular access from/egress to Formby Bypass (A565), new internal vehicular access road, car parking, servicing area, public realm, and hard and soft landscapingbe refused for the reasons stated or referred to in the report.

RESOLVED:

That the recommendation be approved and the application be refused for the following reasons

(1)           The proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt, by virtue of the harmful impact it would have on openness and conflict with the purposes of including land within the Green Belt, due to the scale and mass of the proposed building, construction of the access and car parking and the associated activities of the proposed use. This harm would not be clearly outweighed by the other considerations, consequently very special circumstances do not exist to justify the proposal. The development is contrary to Policy MN7 of the Sefton Local Plan and the National Planning Policy Framework.

(2)           Insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that the proposed development would not have a severe impact on the highway network, not have an unacceptable impact on highway safety, or that it meets the minimum requirements for accessibility. The development is contrary to Policy EQ3 of the Sefton Local Plan, Policies GA2 and GA3 of the Neighbourhood Plan, the National Planning Policy Framework, and inconsistent with the Sustainable Travel and Development Supplementary Planning Document.

Members requested that it be recorded that the above decision was unanimous.