To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Malcolm Beer and Colin Rayner.

To receive any declarations of interest.

Cllr Burbage – Had previously declared a pecuniary interest in item one when it last came to Panel. The Chairman explained that the pecuniary interest was business related but that no longer existed. Therefore, he had only a personal interest in item one and confirmed he attended Panel with an open mind.

Cllr Hunt – confirmed that any personal and prejudicial interest she had declared the previous time item one had come to Panel was no longer there. Cllr Hunt confirmed she attended panel with an open mind.

Cllr Saunders – declared a personal interest in item one as he was aware and well acquainted with the Principal at the college but, he attended Panel with an open mind.

To approve the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 August 2017.

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Part I minutes of the meeting held on 22 August 2017 be approved.

To determine the planning application.

16/02814*      Berkshire College Agriculture: Development of a care village comprising of a 50 bedroom care home, village care and wellbeing centre, 26 assisted living units, 82 independent living units, landscaping, parking and associated new access drive at Land at BCA and Bordered by Main Buildings to North and Dellars Copse to South Burchetts Green Road, Burchetts Green, Maidenhead – In the absence of a continued case of VSC due to a material change in circumstances, THE PANEL VOTED to REFUSE planning permission for the following summarised reasons 9the full reasons are

identified in Section 5 of the Main Report):

1.    Substantial harm to the Green Belt through i) inappropriate development, ii) significant loss of openness by reason of the developments scale and siting, iii) contrary to one of the main purposes of the Green Belt i.e. to protect the countryside from encroachment. There are no ‘Very Special Circumstances’ to outweigh this harm and the harm identified below.

2.    Given the developments size and siting and the lack of a secured S106 agreement to secure the delivery of the Conservation Management Plan and investment into securing the heritage asset there would be harm to the setting of the principal house and its landscape setting. This harm is not outweighed by the public benefits.

3.    The proposal would result in the loss of a community/sporting facility as it has not been demonstrated that the high ropes course can be replaced or that it is no longer required.

                        Seven Councillors voted in favour (Cllrs Alexander, Da Costa, L. Evans, Hilton, Smith, Walters and D. Wilson), five Councillors voted against (Cllrs Bateson, Bicknell, Hunt, Kellaway and Saunders), and one Councillor abstained from the vote (Cllr Burbage).

(The Panel was addressed by Annie Keene, Clifford Joseph, Joe Staunton and Parish Councillor Steve Harrington in objection and Douglass Bond, the Agent in support).