Meeting Agenda:
Planning Committee
| Meeting Date: | Friday 24 Apr 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Councillors | Edmund Chatterjee Vice-Chairman, Tess Durbeyfield, Donald Farfrae Chairman, Lucetta Farfrae, Thomas Hardcome, Elizabeth-Jane Henchard, Michael Henchard, Richard Jopp, Nance Mockridge, Milly Philpot, Susan Standidge. |
| Committee: | Planning Committee |
| Venue: | Casterbridge Town Hall. High Street Casterbridge |
| Notes: | |
| Summary: |
Agenda
Minutes
The Minutes are not currently available.
To receive and approve apologies for absence.
To receive declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests and other interests from councillors on matters to be considered at this meeting.
A period of up to 15 minutes is set aside for members of the public to address the committee. Each speaker is permitted up to 3 minutes. Speakers wishing to address the committee on a specific planning application must register with the Clerk
To approve as a correct record the minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on 1 April 2026
To consider any matters arising from the minutes not covered elsewhere on this agenda.
The applicant seeks householder planning permission for the construction of a single-storey rear extension measuring 4.2 metres in depth, 5.8 metres in width, and 3.1 metres to the ridge. The extension would provide an enlarged kitchen-dining space at ground floor level. External materials are proposed as facing brick to match the existing dwelling and grey UPVC double-glazed windows. The property is a mid-terrace house in a residential street and sits outside any conservation area or flood risk zone. No objections have been received from neighbouring properties within the consultation period. The proposal appears consistent with the policies of the adopted Casterbridge Neighbourhood Plan and the relevant standards of the National Planning Policy Framework.
Casterbridge Town Council is the applicant for this proposal, which seeks full planning permission for the installation of a freestanding dual-bay cycle shelter accommodating up to 12 bicycles, and a separate timber-framed community notice board, both located at the eastern edge of Market Square. The cycle shelter would be constructed in powder-coated steel with a translucent polycarbonate roof panel, finished in dark green. The notice board would be of traditional oak construction consistent with existing street furniture in the town centre. The site falls within the Casterbridge Town Centre Conservation Area; however, the structures are modest in scale and have been designed in consultation with the District Council's Conservation Officer, who has indicated informal support.
The applicant seeks full planning permission to convert a currently vacant ground-floor retail unit into a hot food takeaway, including the installation of a stainless-steel extraction flue rising 1.2 metres above the parapet of the building on its rear elevation. The property is located within the primary shopping frontage of Casterbridge town centre as defined by the adopted Local Plan, which resists the loss of active retail uses at ground floor level. Members will note that three hot food takeaways already operate within 80 metres of this site. Concerns have been raised by neighbouring residents regarding late-night noise, odour, and increased vehicle movements, particularly given the proximity of the site to residential flats above adjoining units. Officers recommend that the committee resolves to object on grounds of harm to the retail character of the primary frontage and potential amenity impacts on existing residents.
The applicant, a national mobile network operator, seeks full planning permission for the erection of a 20-metre monopole telecommunications mast with three antenna arrays at the head, together with a ground-level equipment cabinet enclosed by a 1.8-metre palisade security fence, on a parcel of open land at the edge of the Egdon Heath Road residential estate. The site is adjacent to a public right of way and lies within 150 metres of the boundary of the Egdon Heath Special Area of Conservation. The council has received 24 letters of objection from local residents citing visual harm, the proximity to a children's play area, and insufficient evidence that alternative, less visually intrusive sites were adequately considered. Officers note that the applicant's site search report does not appear to assess two potentially suitable sites on existing commercial buildings in the vicinity, and recommend the committee object on grounds of inadequate justification for the chosen location and harm to the character of the area.
The applicant seeks listed building consent for the replacement of twelve first- and second-floor timber sash windows on the principal and side elevations of The Old Corn Exchange, a Grade II listed building dating from 1847 located in the heart of Casterbridge town centre. The proposed replacements would be slim-profile double-glazed timber sash units intended to match the existing appearance as closely as possible. The committee may wish to note that Historic England's guidance on listed buildings generally favours the repair of original fabric over wholesale replacement, and members may wish to seek clarification from the District Council's Conservation Officer as to whether a repair-first assessment has been carried out and whether the proposed glazing bars and profiles are truly like-for-like.
To note planning decisions issued by [District/Borough] Council since the last meeting.
To note any planning appeals lodged or determined since the last meeting.
To note any planning enforcement matters brought to the council's attention.
To note that the next meeting of the Planning Committee will be held on 24 April 2026