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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

PLANNING COMMITTEE

 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 15 MARCH 2018

 

Present:

Councillor English (Chairman) and Councillors Cox, Harwood, Munford, Perry, Round, Spooner,

Mrs Stockell and Vizzard

 

Also Present:

Councillor Garten

 

 

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423.     Apologies for Absence

 

It was noted that apologies for absence had been received from Councillors Boughton, Clark, Powell and Prendergast.

 

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424.     Notification of Substitute Members

 

It was noted that Councillor Perry was substituting for Councillor Prendergast.

 

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425.     Notification of Visiting Members

 

Councillor Garten indicated his wish to speak on the report of the Head of Planning and Development relating to application 17/506491 (Wheatsheaf Barn, Wheatsheaf Farm, Hazel Street, Stockbury, Kent).

 

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426.     Items withdrawn from the Agenda

 

There were none.

 

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427.     Urgent Items

 

The Chairman stated that, in his opinion, the update reports of the Head of Planning and Development should be taken as urgent items as they contained further information relating to matters to be considered at the meeting.

 

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428.     Disclosures by Members and Officers

 

Prior to consideration of the report of the Head of Planning and Development relating to Tree Preservation Order No. 5019/2017 (Valley Park Community School, Huntsman Lane, Maidstone, Kent), Councillor Harwood stated that he was a Member of Boxley Parish Council, but he had not participated in the Parish Council’s discussions regarding the Order, and intended to speak and vote when it was considered.

 

 

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429.     Exempt Items

 

RESOLVED:  That the items on the agenda be taken in public as proposed.

 

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430.     Minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2018

 

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting held on 22 February 2018 be approved as a correct record and signed.

 

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431.     Presentation of Petitions

 

There were no petitions.

 

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432.     Deferred Items

 

17/503291 – ERECTION OF 6 NO. LIGHTWEIGHT COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL UNITS - THE PACKHOUSE, QUEEN STREET, PADDOCK WOOD, TONBRIDGE, KENT

 

The Development Manager said that he had nothing further to report in respect of this application at present.

 

17/503237 - OUTLINE APPLICATION (SOME MATTERS RESERVED) FOR DEMOLITION OF EXISTING BUILDINGS, AND CESSATION OF COMMERCIAL USE ON SITE; ERECTION OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT PROVIDING 18 NO. UNITS, OF WHICH 12 X 1 BED AND 6 X 2 BED. PROVISION OF 16 PARKING SPACES/2 DISABLED SPACES AND 4 VISITOR SPACES. ACCESS, LAYOUT AND SCALE BEING SOUGHT - J B GARAGE DOORS, STRAW MILL HILL, TOVIL, MAIDSTONE, KENT

 

The Development Manager said that he had nothing further to report in respect of this application at present.

 

17/505995 - ERECTION OF A DETACHED FIVE BEDROOM DWELLING WITH ASSOCIATED PARKING - COURT LODGE FARM, THE STREET, TESTON, MAIDSTONE, KENT

 

The Development Manager said that he had nothing further to report in respect of this application at present.

 

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433.     Mr Aaron Hill - Major Projects Manager

 

The Chairman introduced Mr Aaron Hill, the newly appointed Major Projects Manager.

 

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434.     17/506491 - DEMOLITION OF FARM BUILDINGS AND CONSTRUCTION OF A DETACHED HOUSE AND GARAGE - WHEATSHEAF BARN, WHEATSHEAF FARM, HAZEL STREET, STOCKBURY, KENT

 

The Chairman and Councillors Perry and Round stated that they had been lobbied.

The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development.

 

Mr Crabtree, the applicant, and Councillor Garten (Visiting Member) addressed the meeting.

 

RESOLVED:  That permission be refused for the reasons and informative set out in the report.

 

Voting:        6 – For        0 – Against     2 – Abstentions

 

Note:  Having entered the meeting during the presentation by the Principal Planning Officer on this application (6.10 p.m.), Councillor Harwood did not participate in the discussion or the voting.

 

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435.     17/505670 - CHANGE OF USE OF VACANT OASTHOUSE AND STABLES TO 2 RESIDENTIAL DWELLINGS; DEMOLITION OF ALL OUTBUILDINGS AND CLEARANCE OF SITE TO ERECT 3 NO. TWO STOREY HOUSES AND 2 NO. SEMI-DETACHED SINGLE STOREY COTTAGES - BLETCHINGLEY OAST AND BLETCHINGLEY FARM INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, PRISTLING LANE, STAPLEHURST, TONBRIDGE, KENT

 

All Members except Councillor Vizzard stated that they had been lobbied.

 

The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development.

 

Mrs Moore, an objector, and Mr Norton, for the applicant, addressed the meeting.

 

It was noted that Councillor Buller of Staplehurst Parish Council had registered to speak on this application, but was unable to attend the meeting due to illness.  Details of the speech that Councillor Buller intended to deliver on behalf of the Parish Council had been circulated to Members of the Committee that afternoon.

 

RESOLVEDThat permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report, as amended/deleted by the urgent update report, and that the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to include either a condition or a S106 Head of Term to ensure that, in the interests of biodiversity and landscape, the boundary buffer areas shown brown and hatched on the plan are preserved as communal, strategic landscape buffers, not in private ownership, and designed to allow access for maintenance as and when required.

 

Voting:        8 – For        1 – Against     0 – Abstentions

 

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<AI14>

436.     16/503467 - RETENTION OF EXISTING MOBILE STRUCTURE TO BE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES - OLD OAK PADDOCKS, CHART HILL ROAD, STAPLEHURST, KENT

 

Councillor Munford stated that he had been lobbied.

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning and Development.

 

It was noted that the application had been reported to the Committee as the recommendation to grant permission was contrary to the written view of Chart Sutton Parish Council which objected to the development.  Whilst the Parish Council maintained its objection to the application, it would have removed its call-in, having read the report.

 

RESOLVEDThat permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report.

 

Voting:        6 – For        0 – Against     3 – Abstentions

 

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<AI15>

437.     5017/2017/Tree Preservation Order (TPO) - Land At Lodge Close, The Street, Ulcombe, Kent

 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning and Development concerning TPO No. 5017/2017 which was made to replace TPO No. 5002/2017.  It was noted that:

 

·           TPO No. 5002/2017 was made to protect woodland, including mature oaks, on land at Lodge Close, The Street, Ulcombe in response to requests from the Parish Council following concerns raised by residents about recent activity in the woodland.

 

·           It was understood that the site had changed hands and that a fishing consortium was involved with the recent activity on the site.

 

·           Whilst no formal objection had been received to the making of TPO No. 5017/2017, a detailed objection was received to TPO No. 5002/2017 from the current and previous owners of the site.

 

·           Given the uncertainty surrounding operations on the site, it was recommended that the woodland should continue to be protected by a TPO.

 

RESOLVED:  That TPO No. 5017/2017 be confirmed without modification.

 

Voting:        9 – For        0 – Against     0 – Abstentions

 

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<AI16>

438.     16/506432 - RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION FOR THE CHANGE OF USE TO RESIDENTIAL CARAVAN SITE FOR ONE GYPSY FAMILY WITH TWO CARAVANS (1NO. STATIC CARAVAN AND 1NO. MOBILE HOME), WITH CREATION OF HARDSTANDING, ERECTION OF AMENITY BUILDING AND ERECTION OF GARDEN SHED - ORCHARD SPOT, ORCHARD FARM NURSERY, CHARTWAY STREET, SUTTON VALENCE, KENT

 

Councillor Round stated that he had been lobbied.

 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning and Development.

RESOLVED:  That permission be granted subject to the conditions set out in the report.

 

Voting:        8 – For        0 – Against     1 – Abstention

 

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439.     5019/2017/Tree Preservation Order (TPO) - Valley Park Community School, Huntsman Lane, Maidstone, Kent

 

All Members stated that they had been lobbied.

 

The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development concerning TPO No. 5019/2017 which had been made to protect groups of trees and woodland on land at Valley Park Community School, Huntsman Lane, Maidstone.

 

In response to a question as to whether consideration of the report could be deferred until the next meeting to enable people wishing to make representations objecting to confirmation without modification of the TPO to be in attendance, it was pointed out that the TPO would expire on the day of the next meeting.

 

It was noted that:

 

·           An objection to the making of the TPO had been received from Barker Parry Town Planning.

 

·           Application 17/501471 for the erection of a three storey secondary school with associated access, car parking and landscaping at the site was the subject of an appeal against non-determination.  There was no guarantee that planning permission would be granted for the proposed development.  It was therefore considered that tree removals ahead of a planning permission would be premature.  

 

·           If the appeal against non-determination was successful, then the planning permission would over-ride the TPO.

 

RESOLVEDThat TPO No. 5019/2017 be confirmed without modification.

 

Voting:        6 – For        0 – Against     3 - Abstentions

 

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440.     Appeal Decisions

 

The Committee considered the report of the Head of Planning and Development setting out details of appeal decisions received since the last meeting.

 

RESOLVED:  That the report be noted and that the Officers be congratulated on their success at appeal.

 

 

 

 

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441.     Chairman's Announcements

 

The Chairman said that a very productive meeting of the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Political Group Spokespersons of the Planning Committee had taken place recently and the outcomes were being fed back to Members via their Spokespersons.  Progress was being made on issues such as enforcement protocols and matrices.

 

The Vice-Chairman said that this group of Members had enjoyed a very beneficial relationship with each other and with the Officers who supported them.  It had been a very positive year, and he wished to congratulate the Members and Officers concerned on the excellent progress made.

 

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<AI20>

442.     Duration of Meeting

 

6.00 p.m. to 7.40 p.m.

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