Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor Cure declared an Other Significant Interest on the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan Response to Consultation on the grounds that his wife was employed by a waste contractor and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

To confirm as a correct record the Notes of the meeting and Extraordinary meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board held on 19 November 2013 and on 20 January 2014 respectively.

RESOLVED:  That the notes of the meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory held on 19 November 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

RESOLVED:  That the notes of the extraordinary meeting of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board held on 20 January 2014 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health recommended a response to the Kent County Council pre-submission version of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan which was out for consultation.

After careful consideration Members supported the proposed responses set out and recognised that further discussion with Kent County Council on the issues raised would be constructive.

RECOMMENDED: That the proposed responses in the report be used as the basis for ongoing discussion with Kent County Council and inform the Borough Council’s formal response to the consultation on the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan (Pre-Submission, January 2014).

*Referred to Cabinet

Decision Notice D140030MEM

The report provided an update on progress towards the new Local Plan, including the preparation of evidence, community engagement arrangements and proposed revisions to the timetable. Consideration was given to outcomes from the final version of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment, arrangements for the forthcoming ‘Call for Sites’ exercise and revisions to the Local Plan timetable.

The figure for Maidstone’s adopted housing target at paragraph 1.2.8 of the report was corrected at the meeting to read “17,100”.

It was reported that the ‘objectively assessed need’ for Tonbridge and Malling for the period 2011 to 2031 was for 13,000 new homes, or 650 per annum.  This represented a growth in the existing housing stock of 1.4% per year.

Members expressed concern regarding risks associated with flooding and urged that flood risk was investigated, particularly the impact on neighbouring properties as a result of flood mitigation measures.  The Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health advised that the housing figures provided in the report were based on a demographic analysis.  Constraints, including areas of outstanding natural beauty and flood plains, needed to be taken into account in addressing how to meet those objectively assessed housing needs.

RECOMMENDED: That

(1)   the progress towards preparing the Local Plan, including the proposed Call for Sites exercise be noted;

(2)   the final version of the Tonbridge and Malling Strategic Housing Market Assessment, including the Objectively Assessed Housing Need for the Borough to 2013, be acknowledged and accepted as forming part of the Local Plan evidence base; and

(3)   the revised Local Plan timetable, set out in Annex 1 to the report, be used as a basis of a revised Local Development Scheme.

The report advised that the Borough Council had received a petition from residents of Haydens Mews (36 signatories) requesting that the Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary be revised to include this area.

It was reported that the previous removal of Haydens Mews from the Tonbridge Conservation Area had been subject to a public consultation exercise, along with all other alterations to the boundary that were proposed at the time.  Objections to the proposed exclusion had been carefully considered but the Borough Council had remained of the view that the area should not form part of the Conservation Area and adopted the revised boundary accordingly. (Minute Number C 09/063 refers).

However, reference was made to changes in permitted development rights during the intervening period and it was considered that a review of the boundary could be justified on these grounds.

RECOMMENDED: The Tonbridge Conservation Area boundary in the vicinity of Haydens Mews be reviewed in the light of changes in permitted development rights since the conservation area status was removed. 

*Referred to Cabinet

Decision Notice D140031MEM

The report provided an update on progress and set out a programme for the implementation of the scheme.

Members noted that a start date on site was now anticipated for July 2014, which allowed the majority of the work to be completed during the summer months when working conditions were most favourable.  Completion of the project would be around October/November dependent upon the contractor’s approved construction programme.

In addition, the Advisory Board had every confidence that the objectives of officers were the same as local Members in getting the Town Lock area reinvigorated.

RECOMMENDED: That the progress made towards implementing the Town Lock capital project be noted and the programme as set out in the report be approved.

Decision Notice D140032MEM

At the request of the Joint Transportation Board the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health presented the KCC Cycling Strategy for consideration.

It was reported that the Strategy should form part of the context for considering planning applications and in the production of the forthcoming Local Plan.

RECOMMENDED: That the Kent and Tonbridge and Malling Cycling Strategy 2014-2019 be adopted as a material consideration in decisions on planning applications and in the production of the Local Plan.

The report provided an update on a range of current transportation issues affecting the Borough.

Reference was made to the Lower Thames Crossing and Members were advised that Option B, connecting the A2 Swanscombe Peninsula with the A1089, had been discarded and that further work would be done to choose between Options A and C.

In addition, Members were reminded of the unsuccessful bid to the Department for Transport’s Pinch Point Funding for widening the eastern overbridge at Junction 4 of the M20.  However, Kent County Council was submitting the scheme to the Local Enterprise Partnership for Local Growth Funding and, given the strong business case, hoped that the necessary contribution could be secured.

Members were informed of a letter prepared by the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation to the Planning Minister, Nick Boles MP, on 28 January 2014 raising a number of issues relating to the Government’s ongoing planning reforms.

A copy of the letter, drawing attention to some of the new requirements on Local Planning Authorities and the challenges they presented when preparing Local Plans, was attached at Annex 1 to the report.  The recent response from the Planning Minister was attached at Annex 2 to the report.

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.