Decisions

To agree the Applications for Planning Permission and Other Consents under the Town and Country Planning Act and Associated Legislation for March 2023.

Individual decisions made in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation are detailed on the attached document.

Various licence applications/permissions/consents made under the Licensing Act 2003 for the month of March 2023.

Individual decisions made in accordance with the provisions of the relevant legislation are detailed on the attached document.

Approval of lease assignment of 2.2 acres of land at Faverdale which is currently held on a long ground lease. The proposed assignee has acquired all of the issue share capital of the current lease holder.

To approve the decision to assign the lease to proposed assignee.

The following amendments are required to the Strategy document:
(a) For clarity, all references to ‘biannual’ inspections need to be amended to ‘at least once every 2 years’; the word ‘biannual’ is more commonly associated with ‘twice per year’.
(b) Information in relation to Risk Management has been drafted and will be incorporated into the Strategy on page 8 and placed below the ‘Tree Removal’ section. The following sections on page 8 will be deleted and replaced by the Risk Management content: ‘Cyclical Tree Work’ and ‘Responsive Tree Work’.

For clarity, to identify all references to ‘biannual’ tree inspections in the existing Tree & Woodland Strategy document and amend the wording to ‘at least once every two years’, to accurately reflect the frequency of inspections. Further, to incorporate additional information regarding risk management and amend the existing content on page 8 of the Strategy.

Reason: To provide clarity regarding frequency of tree inspections and further information regarding risk management.

The original proposal was that Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS) would vacate the Goods Shed in May 2023 and decant straight into the refurbished 1861 shed. However, due to the delay of 5 months in the handover of the 1861 shed from Network Rail it has meant that Train Storage and removal costs have been incurred as the Goods Shed needs to be vacated by Darlington Railway Preservation Society (DRPS) by March 2023 in order for the restoration of that building to commence.

To agree to pay the full engine storage and removal costs of £23,500, minus £5,000 contribution from DPRS, together with the freight transportation costs of £44,450, which involved the transportation of 5 locomotives to be stored at Weardale Railway.

Reason: To allow the restoration of the goods shed to commence in May 2023 as originally proposed, otherwise the costs that could be incurred due to not accessing the building from the main contractor until Sept 2023 would amount to approx. £100,000 and it would also mean that the building wasn’t complete in line with the remaining buildings in June 2024.