The Chairman will advise the meeting of the evacuation procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. This is particularly important for visitors and members of the public who will be unfamiliar with the building and procedures.

The Chairman will inform the meeting whether there is a planned evacuation drill due to take place, what the alarm sounds like (i.e. ringing bells), where the closest emergency exit route is, and where the second closest emergency exit route is, in the event that the closest exit or route is blocked.

The Chairman will inform the meeting that:

(a) in the event of the alarm sounding, everybody must leave the building via the nearest safe available exit and gather at the Assembly points at the far side of the Car Park.  Nobody must leave the assembly point until everybody can be accounted for and nobody must return to the building until the Chairman has informed them that it is safe to do so; and

(b) the lifts must not be used in the event of an evacuation.

Any officers present at the meeting will aid with the evacuation.

It is important that the Chairman is informed of any person attending who is disabled or unable to use the stairs, so that suitable arrangements may be made in the event of an emergency.

The Chairman outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 671 - 676) as a correct record.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 10 March 2022 (Minute Nos. 671 – 676) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chairman will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary Interests (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c)           Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the meeting while that item is considered.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

Councillor Monique Bonney declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.4 22/500563/FULL, St Michaels Church, High Street, Sittingbourne as she had discussed the matter in her role as Cabinet Member for Economy and Property.  Councillor Bonney left the Chamber during the discussion and as such did not speak or vote on the item.

Councillor Cameron Beart declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.5 20/502715/OUT, Bobbing Car Breakers, Howt Green, Bobbing as his employer did business with the applicant.  Councillor Beart remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

To consider the following application:

21/500173/FULL, Land East Of Hawes Woods High Oak Hill Iwade Road Newington Kent ME9 7HY

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

Requests to speak on this item must be registered with Democratic Services (democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call us on 01795 417328) by noon on Wednesday 6 April 2022.

Additional information which might be referred to added 6 April 2022.

Tabled paper added 7 April 2022.

Reports shown in previous Minutes as being deferred from that Meeting

The Major Projects Officer introduced the application and said the Applicants had recently provided an updated site plan.  He drew Members’ attention to the tabled paper for this item and provided a further update to section 5.2 of the update to report that in total 19 further representations had been received, 18 in support of the application and one in objection.  The Major Projects Officer said the Council accepted the principle of using land as an animal sanctuary, subject to it being on the right site, with appropriate planning controls in place.  He reminded Members that the application site was sensitively located next to a designated ancient woodland and within an Area of High Landscape Value.  The Major Projects Officer said that areas such as these ancient woodlands were a finite and diminishing resource nationally and were protected under the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 

The Major Projects Officer said that care needed to be taken that new development did not detract from the quality of the landscape.  Officers had concluded that this was not the right site for this development.  They had looked at the additional information provided by the Applicants following the Planning Committee meeting in December 2021.  Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation and KCC Ecology had continued to raise concern, and there had been four noise abatement breaches.  Officers were not satisfied that enough information had been supplied by the Applicants to address the previous concerns and remained with their recommendation that the application should be refused for the reasons set-out on pages 25 and 26 of the report.  The Major Projects Officer said the harm of the scheme significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Local Plan (adopted 2017) and the NPPF (July 2021) and the other material planning considerations.

Mr David Warren, a supporter, was registered to speak, but withdrew before the meeting commenced.

Amey Jones, the Applicant, spoke in support of the application.

A visiting Ward Member spoke in support of the application.

At this point, a Member raised a point of order and said that Appendix II on page 48 of the report had stated that the officer recommendation had been to approve the application.  The Chairman acknowledged that this was a typing error, and it should have read ‘officer recommendation to refuse’.

A visiting Member spoke in support of the application.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to refuse the application,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 745.

To consider the attached report (Parts 2, 3 and 5).

The Council operates a scheme of public speaking at meetings of the Planning Committee.  All applications on which the public has registered to speak will be taken first.  Requests to speak at the meeting must be registered with Democratic Services (democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call 01795 417328) by noon on Wednesday 6 April 2022.

Tabled Paper added to item 2.5 on 6 April 2022.

Tabled Paper added to item 2.4 on 7 April 2022.

Additional information which might be referred to added 7 April 2022.

Please note that Item 2.3 22/500853/FULL Clocktower Barn Norton Lane Norton Kent ME9 9JU has been withdrawn and will not be considered at this committee.

PART 2

Applications for which PERMISSION is recommended

The Area Planning Officer introduced the application and explained that the application was on a brownfield site, in a rural location, within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  Permission was granted in 2015 to build five houses and four were well on the way to being built.  The application was for an alternative design and orientation of the remaining dwelling.  This resulted in a 20% turn, facing south-east with the rear windows facing further away from the garden of Barn House.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded by Councillor Mike Dendor.

A Member noted that there were no objections to the application and could not see a reason to refuse it.

Resolved:  That application 22/500014/FULL be approved subject to conditions (1) to (16) in the report.

The Area Planning Officer introduced the application and displayed drawings of the proposed signs which would be positioned within the proposed development.

A visiting Ward Member spoke against the application.

A Ward Member who was also a member of the Planning Committee spoke with some concern on the signs and flags.  He acknowledged that the signs needed to be installed and spoke on changing the name of the development and that they should be fixed well into the ground.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded by Councillor Mike Dendor.

Resolved:  That application 21/506308/ADV be approved subject to conditions (1) to (6) in the report.

This item was withdrawn from the agenda.

The Meeting was adjourned from 8.20 pm until 8.27 pm.