Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded of their obligation under the Council’s Code of Conduct to disclose any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and Other Significant Interests in any matter(s) to be considered or being considered at the meeting. These are explained in the Code of Conduct on the Council’s website at Code of conduct for members – Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (tmbc.gov.uk).

Members in any doubt about such declarations are advised to contact Legal or Democratic Services in advance of the meeting.

For reasons of transparency, Councillor Mrs M Tatton advised that she was the Parish Clerk for Teston Parish Council who were one of the consultees on application TM/21/00881/OA (MOD Land South of Discovery Drive, Kings Hill, West Malling).  However, as she had not been involved in any decision making regarding the Parish Council’s response, this did not represent either a Disclosable Pecuniary or Other Significant Interest and there was no requirement for her to withdraw from the meeting or to not participate in the debate.

Glossary of abbreviations used in reports to the Area Planning Committee (attached for information)

Any supplementary matters will be circulated via report in advance of the meeting and published to the website.

Decisions were taken on the following applications subject to the pre-requisites, informatives, conditions or reasons for refusal set out in the report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health or in the variations indicated below.  Any supplementary reports were tabled at the meeting.

Members of the public addressed the meeting where the required notice had been given and their comments were taken into account by the Committee when determining the application.  Speakers are listed under the relevant planning application shown below. 

Outline Application: Development of up to 65 dwellings (all matters reserved other than access)

Outline Application: Development of up to 65 dwellings (all matters reserved other than access).

Due regard was given to the determining issues and conditions as detailed in the report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health, with particular attention given to the concerns raised by the public speakers and due consideration given to the Borough Council’s latest housing land supply position and the fact that the proposed development was within a designated allocated site (known as ‘f – Kings Hill’) as defined in Policy H1 of the Development Land Allocations DPD (April 2008).  In addition, clarification was sought in respect of provision within the developer contributions, as part of the Section 106 agreement, towards the NHS Integrated Care Board.

It was proposed by Councillor K Tanner, seconded by Councillor C Brown that the application be refused on grounds relating to the size and means of access, impact on the adjacent Ancient Woodland and impact on the character and appearance of the area and visual amenity of the locality.  In order to seek legal advice and on the grounds of maintaining legal professional privilege, the Committee agreed to move into Part 2 to consider exempt information in private before returning to Part 1 to resume the meeting in public.  Following a formal vote, this motion was defeated.

RESOLVED:  That planning permission be GRANTED subject to:

(1)          the applicant entering into a legal agreement in respect of:

·         40% affordable housing

·         Off-site open space provision

·         Education provision, community facilities and services (Kent County Council Economic Development)

·         Off-Site BNG and monitoring

(2)          the submitted details, conditions, reasons and informatives set out in the report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health; and

(3)          authority being delegated to the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health to further investigate and establish the provision within the developer contributions towards the NHS Integrated Care Board, as part of the Section 106 agreement.

[Speakers: Cllr A Petty (on behalf of Kings Hill Parish Council), Mr I Farrington, Mr M Jones, Mrs W Rush, Mr N Hartnup, Mr N Hart, Mr K Murphy, Ms K Bell, Mr F McLymont, Ms J Timon, Mr D Rush, (Name withheld), (Name withheld), Mrs K Cockrill, Mr P Cockrill (members of the public) and Mr D Pope (on behalf of the Applicant) addressed the Committee in person.]

Proposed change of use from an existing community centre to a nursery with associated parking and landscaping

The Committee were advised that this item had been withdrawn from the agenda.

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

There were no items considered in private.