To consider the following application:

16/504266/FULL Land at Lavender Avenue, Minster

Members of the public are advised to confirm with Planning Services prior to the meeting that the application will be considered at this meeting.

Requests to speak on these items must be registered with Democratic Services (democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call us on 01795 417328) by noon on Wednesday 12 October 2016.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to approve the application and this was seconded.

The Major Projects Officer drew Members’ attention to the tabled paper which set out updates, and clarification on the conditions relating  to the application.  He reported that one further letter of objection had been received which had raised overlooking issues onto a neighbouring garden.

Members raised the following points:  as this was part of a larger application, it was important that we saw the ‘whole picture’ before a decision was made; would be happier if more detail on the west of the site had been agreed, so that the impact of the nine additional houses could be decided upon; detail was needed of the whole site so that a decision could be made on whether these new houses would fit in; acknowledged that this was the normal procedure and that we were now being asked to approve this small area of the site; approval of these houses would mean that more funding would be allotted to the upgrading of the Lower Road/Barton Hill junction roundabout scheme; the infrastructure was not in place to support the additional housing; and we cannot go against Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation as we would lose on appeal on these grounds.

A Ward Member did not support the application and considered the infrastructure was not in place to support additional housing, and this would add to the pressure already there.

In response to a question, the Major Projects Officer explained that permission to develop land to the south and east of this application site had already been agreed, and to the north was outline permission, with the access approved.  He further explained that this was the normal two-stage process, and detailed matters would go through consultation and appraisal by officers.  In response to a further question, the Major Projects Officer explained that the Section 106 agreement, agreed in August 2016, for the remaining 431 houses, still stood.  He further advised that the funding for the roundabout would come from other sources, as well as from developer contributions for each house built.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19(2) a recorded vote was taken on the motion to approve the application as follows:

For:  Councillors Bobbin, Roger Clark, James Hunt, Ken Ingleton, Nigel Kay, Mike Henderson, Bryan Mulhern and Ghlin Whelan. Total equals eight.

Against:  Councillors Mike Baldock, Cameron Beart, Andy Booth, Richard Darby, Tina Booth, James Hall, Samuel Koffie-Williams and Peter Marchington.  Total equals eight.

Abstain:  Councillor Present.

The Chairman used his casting vote and the motion was agreed.

Resolved:  That application 16/504266/FULL be approved subject to conditions (1) to (21) in the report, to include the tabled amendments and including the deletion of conditions (3), (4) and (17) if both the KCC surface water drainage system (SUDS) Team and Southern Water Services (SWS) advise that the submitted details were acceptable, and the signing of the Deed of Variation.