Agenda and decisions

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.

To confirm as a correct record the Notes of the meeting of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee held on 21 October 2025.

This report updates the discretionary fees across the planning service for 2026/27 which would become effective on 1 April 2026.  Fees have generally been increased by 4% for Development Management and between 4-10% for Building Control.  Some new fee categories have been introduced based on customer feedback and good practise. Further explanation of these increases can be found in the body of the report.

This report sets out the proposed fees for licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) and caravan sites for permanent residential use from 1 April 2026.

This report advises on progress towards implementing a key action from the agreed Indoor Sports and Outdoor Sports & Playing Pitch Strategies.  It also proposes adoption of the Sports England model calculator approach to securing developer contributions towards indoor and outdoor sports facilities in the borough and lays out some of the key considerations.

The report presents the Planning Advisory Service (PAS) review report to Members for approval along with an action plan for delivering on the recommendations of the review.

The Infrastructure Funding Statement sets out infrastructure delivery and contributions collected by TMBC, allocations made within the monitoring period, projects delivered within the relevant period and new agreements entered into with an outline of the contributions agreed over the 2024/25 period.

(Report of Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)

Members reviewed the Infrastructure Funding Statement  (IFS) 2024/25 which set out the infrastructure delivery and contributions collected by the Borough Council, allocations made within the monitoring period, projects delivered within the relevant period and new agreements entered into.  Contributions agreed over the 2024/25 period were also outlined.

The Borough Council had a statutory requirement under the Community Infrastructure Levey Regulations 2010 (Regulation 121A) to publish an annual IFS by the end of December each year.  The purpose of which was to summarise all financial and non-financial developer contributions.

Following consideration by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Tonbridge Regeneration

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the Infrastructure Funding Statement 2024/25 and associated documents be endorsed; and

(2)             the Infrastructure Funding Statement 2024/25 be approved for publication by the end of December 2024.

The purpose of this paper is to outline the Council’s latest Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) (Annex 1 to the report) which reviews effectiveness of the Council’s planning policies and ensures that progress is being made towards achieving the objectives as set out in the suite of Adopted Development Plan documents.

(Report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health)

The report outlined the Borough Council’s latest Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) (attached as Annex 1), which reviewed the effectiveness of the organisations planning policies and helped to ensure that progress was being made towards achieved the objectives as set out in the suite of Adopted Development plan documents.  The AMR was a statistical document to help guide the direction of travel for future corporate and planning policy.

Members noted that the AMR covered the previous financial year due to the period for data collection and reported on the period 2024/25.  The last AMR was published by Tonbridge and Malling in 2024 and this version sought to provide an up to date consideration of the effectiveness of policies as well as progress in preparing planning documents as set out in the Local Development Scheme and actions taken in relation to the duty to cooperate.

Following consideration by the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee, the Cabinet Member for Planning

RESOLVED:  That

(1)             the Authority Monitoring Report for the period 2024/25  (attached at Annex 1 be endorsed; and

(2)             the Authority Monitoring Report for the period 2024/25 be approved for publication by the end of December 2025.

To provide information to support the presentation of the Cabinet Member for Planning, detailing service delivery in his portfolio area.

The Work Programme setting out matters to be scrutinised during 2025/26 is attached for information.  Members can suggest future items by liaising with the Chair of the Committee.  

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.