Item 15. Pages 25-38                                                 Bletchingley Oast And Bletchingley Farm Industrial Estate Pristling Lane Staplehurst Tonbridge Kent

Reference number: 17/505670/FULL 

 

Additional representation

An online petition with the heading Save Bletchingley Farm, objects to the loss of businesses at the application site.  At the time of writing the petition has 765 signatures. It should be noted that the petition does not appear to record the property addresses of signatories to assess the relevance to the application and also allows a single person to sign the petition multiple times.   

The Council has a recently adopted Local Plan.

The adopted Local Plan does not contain any policies that seek the retention of employment uses in the location of the application site.  

As part of the long process of adopting the Local Plan investigations were carried out to find the most suitable sites on which to provide employment uses in the borough. These sites include land within and to the north of the Staplehurst Rural Service Centre including Honeycrest Industrial Park.  

The Council’s Economic Development Team have indicated that there is additional capacity for new commercial units this land designated for employment use. The turnover of unit occupation of units would also enable adequate space to be provided for businesses currently on the application site.

The Council’s Economic Development Team has confirmed there is potential loan funding to support businesses who wish to relocate to this designated site.  Contact details for the Economic Development Team can be provided.

 

Amend condition 4 on page 35 to remove reference to ‘publicly accessible’:

Prior to occupation of the proposed new dwelling a minimum of one electric vehicle charging point per dwelling shall be installed and ready for use and in accordance with details that have previously been submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority that includes a programme for installation, maintenance and management with the points retained thereafter and maintained in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To promote the reduction of CO2 emissions through the use of low emissions vehicles in accordance with paragraph 35 of the NPPF.

 

Amend condition 5 on page 35 to read as follows:

Conversion works shall not commence until full details of the following matters have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority:-

a) New external joinery works for the oasthouse and stable block which shall consist of timber cladding and timber windows in the form of large scale drawings.

The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details;

Reason: To ensure no acknowledged heritage element of the building is lost and to safeguard the appearance and the character of the buildings.

 

Amend condition 7 on page 35 to read as follows:

Notwithstanding the submitted landscaping details with reference number WH-BF-003, a further landscaping scheme shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The submitted scheme shall comprise of native tree species which shall include locally characteristic crab apple (Malus sylvestris) or a cultivar and shrub planting comprising of guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) and wayfaring tree (Viburnum lantana) under planted with butcher’s broom (Ruscus aculeatus) and ivy (Hedera helix). It shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their long term management. The landscape scheme shall be designed using the principles established in the Council's adopted Landscape Character Assessment and Landscape Guidelines; it shall indicate measures to enhance biodiversity on the site, the retention of the large category B grade Oak to the east of the site entrance and include the method of remediation for existing areas of hard surfacing which are proposed to be returned to cultivation. The cordwood from trees to be felled at the site shall be stacked within proposed mitigation strip and retained as such to the satisfaction of the Local Planning Authority.

Reason: To ensure adequate protection of trees and a satisfactory external appearance to the development and in the interests of biodiversity.

 

Delete Condition 11 (Written Schedule of Repairs) on page 36:

 

Amend condition 17 on page 37 to read as follows:

The recommendations and enhancement measures set out in the submitted KB Ecology Bat Survey and Mitigation Strategy with (reference 2016/12/05) dated 5th July 2017 shall be implemented in full in accordance with the outlined mitigation strategy to the satisfaction of the local planning authority and shall include bat tubes being incorporated in the fabric of the building.

Reason: To ensure adequate provision is made for wildlife in accordance the provisions of the NPPF.

Recommendation remains unchanged