Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies were received from Cllr M Le Poidevin and Cllr P Cooper.

To receive information on any changes in the membership of the Committee.

Note – When a member of a Committee is unable to attend a meeting of a Committee or Sub-Committee, the relevant Political Group Leader (or their nominated representative) may, by notice to the Monitoring Officer (or their nominated representative) prior to the meeting, appoint a substitute member from within the same Political Group. The contact details on the front of this agenda should be used for notifications. 

Cllr G Farquhar substituted for Cllr P Cooper.

To elect a Chair of the Western BCP Planning Committee for the Municipal

Year 2026/27.

The current Vice Chair of the Committee presided over this item and sought nominations for the election of Chair. A nomination was received and seconded for Cllr M Le Poidevin. No further nominations were received.

RESOLVED that Cllr M Le Poidevin be elected as Chair of the Western BCP Planning Committee for the Municipal Year 2026/27.

To elect a Vice Chair of the Western BCP Planning Committee for the

Municipal Year 2026/27.

In the absence of Cllr Le Poidevin, the Chairman of BCP Council Cllr L Dedman presided over this item to seek nominations for the election of Vice Chair. A nomination was received and seconded for Cllr J Clements. No further nominations were received.

RESOLVED that Cllr J Clements be elected as Vice Chair of the Western BCP Planning Committee for the Municipal Year 2026/27.

The Vice Chair in the Chair presided over the remainder of the meeting.

Councillors are requested to declare any interests on items included in this agenda. Please refer to the workflow on the preceding page for guidance.

Declarations received will be reported at the meeting.

Cllr Rampton declared an interest in item 6a as she had made a representation and recused herself from this item to the public gallery.

Cllr Chapmanlaw declared and non pecuniary interest that he was the ward councillor for items 6a and 6c but was not pre determined in these items.

To confirm and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 2 April 2026.

The minutes of the meeting held on 2 April 2026 were confirmed as an accurate record for the Chair to sign.

To receive any requests to speak on planning applications which the Planning Committee is considering at this meeting.

The deadline for the submission of requests to speak is 10.00am on Wednesday 13 May 2026 [10.00am of the working day before the meeting]. Requests should be submitted to Democratic Services using the contact details on the front of this agenda.

Further information about how public speaking is managed at meetings is contained in the Planning Committee Protocol for Public Speaking and Statements, a copy of which is included with this agenda sheet and is also published on the website on the following page:

https://democracy.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=614

Summary of speaking arrangements as follows:

Speaking at Planning Committee (in person or virtually):

·       There will be a maximum combined time of five minutes to speak in objection and up to two persons may speak within the five minutes.

·       There will be a further maximum combined time of five minutes to speak in support and up to two persons may speak within the five minutes.

·       No speaker may speak for more than half this time (two and a half minutes) UNLESS there are no other requests to speak received by the deadline OR it is with the agreement of the other speaker.

Anyone who has registered to speak by the deadline may, as an alternative to speaking/for use in default, submit a written statement to be read out on their behalf. This must be provided to Democratic Services by 10.00am of the working day before the meeting, must not exceed 450 words and will be treated as amounting to two and a half minutes of speaking time.

Please refer to the full Protocol document for further guidance.

Note: The public speaking procedure is separate from and is not intended to replicate or replace the procedure for submitting a written representation on a planning application to the Planning Offices during the consultation period.

There were a number of requests to speak on planning applications on the agenda as detailed below.

To consider the planning applications as listed below.

See planning application reports circulated with the agenda, as updated by the agenda addendum sheet to be published one working day before the meeting.

Councillors are requested where possible to submit any technical questions on planning applications to the Case Officer at least 48 hours before the meeting to ensure this information can be provided at the meeting.

The running order in which planning applications will be considered will be as listed on this agenda sheet.

The Chair retains discretion to propose an amendment to the running order at the meeting if it is considered expedient to do so.

Members will appreciate that the copy drawings attached to planning application reports are reduced from the applicants’ original and detail, in some cases, may be difficult to read. To search for planning applications, please use the following link:

https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/search-and-comment-on-planning-applications

Councillors are advised that if they wish to refer to specific drawings or plans which are not included in these papers, they should contact the Case Officer at least 48 hours before the meeting to ensure that these can be made available.

To view Local Plans, again, the following link will take you to the main webpage where you can click on a tile to view the local plan for that area. The link is:

https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/Planning-and-building-control/Planning-policy/Current-Local-Plans/Current-Local-Plan.aspx

The Committee considered planning application reports, copies of which had been circulated and which appear as Appendices A to C of these minutes in the Minute Book. A Committee Addendum Sheet was published on 13 May 2026 and appears as Appendix D to these minutes.

Alderney and Bourne Valley Ward

P/25/03190/FUL

External alterations associated with the internal subdivision of the unit to create two units, the widening of goods to allow sale of food and drink from Unit 1, provision of new service bay, car park reconfiguration, installation of permanent plant, installation of trolley bays, and associated works.

Alderney and Bourne Valley Ward

P/25/03190/FUL

External alterations associated with the internal subdivision of the unit to create two units, the widening of goods to allow sale of food and drink from Unit 1, provision of new service bay, car park reconfiguration, installation of permanent plant, installation of trolley bays, and associated works.

Objectors:

•         None Registered

Applicant/Supporters

•         Rebecca Tointon

•         Phil Marsden – Applicant M & S

Ward Councillors:

•         Cllr Tony Trent

RESOLVED to GRANT permission in accordance with the recommendation set out in the officer’s report and the addendum sheet.

Voting: For – 6, Against – 2, Abstain – 0

Notes: Cllr Rampton did not vote inline with her earlier declaration

Cllr McCormack left the meeting after this item.

Bearwood and Merley Ward

P/26/00440/FUL

Installation of additional flood lighting to the existing artificial grass sports pitch (Retrospective).

Bearwood and Merley Ward

P/26/00440/FUL

Installation of additional flood lighting to the existing artificial grass sports pitch (Retrospective).

Objectors:

•         Peter Downton – Objector

Applicant/Supporters

•         Giles Moir – agent on behalf of the applicant

•         Kevin Lobo – Cobham Social Club

Ward Councillors:

•         Cllr Richard Burton

RESOLVED to GRANT permission in accordance with the recommendation set out in the officer’s report and the addendum sheet.

Voting: For – 4, Against – 1, Abstain – 3

Alderney & Bourne Valley Ward

P/26/00494/FUL

Demolition of single storey outbuilding at rear, change of use from Caretaker's residence to educational use, construction of new single storey extension and covered area, perimeter fencing and repositioning of main entrance gates together with automation - Regulation 3 (Partly retrospective).

Alderney & Bourne Valley Ward

P/26/00494/FUL

Demolition of single storey outbuilding at rear, change of use from Caretaker's residence to educational use, construction of new single storey extension and covered area, perimeter fencing and repositioning of main entrance gates together with automation - Regulation 3 (Partly retrospective).

Objectors:

•                 Nigel Green – Objector to be read by DS

•                 Andrew Clarke – Objector to be read by DS

Applicant/Supporters

•                 Jason Moors – BCP Council in support

Ward/other Councillors:

•                 Cllr Tony Trent

• Cllr Richard Burton as Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education and Skills.

RESOLVED to GRANT permission in accordance with the recommendation set out in the officer’s report and the addendum sheet plus bat informative.

Voting: Unanimous

This report updates members of the planning committee on the Local Planning authority's Appeal performance over the stated period

The Development Management (DM) Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated and which appears as Appendix E to these minutes in the Minute Book.

The report provided an update on the Local Planning Authority's appeal performance over the stated period.

The report was noted.