Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of interest in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of Area 2 Planning Committee held on 2 March 2016

RESOLVED:  That the Minutes of the meeting of the Area 2 Planning Committee held on 2 March 2016 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

Introduction and Glossary

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. 

Two storey side and rear extension at Fishpond Cottage, Chapel Street, Ryarsh

RESOLVED:  That the application be APPROVED on the grounds that very special circumstances should be applied in light of a design improvement which would mask a poorly designed 2-storey flat roof extension and these outweighed the harm to the Green Belt.  Final wording of conditions, reasons and informatives delegated to the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health. 

[Speaker:  Mr S Nunn on behalf of applicant Mrs J Nunn ]

Proposed conversion of existing stable and hay barn into 3 bedroom dwelling house (including new roof and walling to hay barn) with associated creation of domestic curtilage, access and parking facilities at Great Oaks House, Puttenden Road, Shipbourne.

This item was WITHDRAWN from the agenda to allow full consideration to be given to further information submitted by the applicant with regard to policy interpretation and land use matters.

Section 73 application for the variation of condition 1 of planning permission TM/13/00081/FL (to allow land marked C41-C46 to be associated with static caravans and to allow storage area to accommodate touring caravans) to provide for year round use in line with other parks in the area and 1 (c) to be deleted at Thriftwood Caravan and Camping Park, Plaxdale Green Road, Stansted

RESOLVED:   That the S73 application be APPROVED in accordance with the conditions and reasons set out in the report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health and reproduced below for reasons of clarity:

1.      (a)  The number of pitches on the site shall be restricted to a maximum of 150 for touring units (including touring caravans, campervans, motorhomes and tents) and 30 static caravan units;

(b)  the 30 static caravan units shall be located only on that part of the site shown cross hatched on the drawing attached to this permission;

(c)  the pitches for touring units shall be located only in the storage area or on that part of the site shown single hatched or cross hatched on the drawing attached to this permission

(d)  any touring caravans being stored on the site shall be located either within that part of the site shown single hatched or cross hatched on the drawing or in the area annotated at "Storage Area";

(e)  at no time shall the total number of caravans on the site (including those that are occupied, available for occupation and stored) exceed 180.

Reason: In the interests of safeguarding the visual amenities of the site, which falls within the open countryside, the Metropolitan Green Belt and because an over intensive use of the site could give rise to additional undue highway hazards, in accordance with paragraphs 17 and 28 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 and Policies CP1, CP3, CP14 and CP24 of the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Core Strategy 2007.

2.      (i) No caravan shall be occupied as a person's sole, or main place of residence

(ii) the caravans shall be occupied for holiday purposes only with the exception of a maximum of 18 touring caravans on workers pitches

(iii) the workers pitches may be occupied only as temporary accommodation by locally employed workers on fixed term contracts of employment

(iv) the owners/operators of the caravan site shall maintain an up-to-date register of the names of all owners/occupiers/overnight guests of individual caravans on the site, and of their main home addresses and the time and duration of the occupation

(v) In respect of the workers pitches, the register shall also include details of the location of employment and length of the fixed term contract of employment

(vi) The information in the register shall be made available at all reasonable times to the Local Planning Authority.          

Reason: To ensure the site is not used for unauthorised permanent residential occupation which would be inappropriate in the Green Belt or outside settlement confines and so thereby contrary to paragraphs 17  ...  view the full minutes text for item AP2 16/21

The Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health reported a breach of planning control related to the erection of a 1.8 metre high close boarded fence adjacent to the highway on part of the northern side boundary and the western rear boundary of the property adjacent to Westwood Road without the necessary planning permission.

It was reported that the boundary fence, by virtue of its overall scale and height combined with its unsympathetic design and materials used, was detrimental to the appearance, character and amenities of the Bullen Corner Conservation Area and harmful to the setting of the Grade II listed building at Bullen Cottage.

Members expressed concern about the fence and its impact on the Conservation Area and requested that any Enforcement Notice seek a reduction in its height.

RESOLVED:  That an Enforcement Notice BE ISSUED, the detailed wording of which to be agreed with the Director of Central Services, requiring the fence to be reduced in height by 1 metre.

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.