Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

(a)      The fire alarm is a continuous loud ringing. In the event that a fire drill is planned during the meeting, the Chair will advise of this.

(b)      Exit routes from the chamber are located on each side of the room, one directly to a fire escape, the other to the stairs opposite the lifts.

(c)      In the event of the alarm sounding, leave the building via the nearest safe exit and gather at the assembly point on the far side of the car park. Do not leave the assembly point or re-enter the building until advised to do so. Do not use the lifts.

(d)      Anyone unable to use the stairs should make themselves known during this agenda item.

The Chair outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

Councillor Julien Speed declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of Deferred Item 1 22/502835/EIOUT Land West of Church Road Bapchild Tonge Kent.

To consider the following applications:

22/502834/EIOUT Land West of Church Road, Bapchild/Tonge

22/503418/OUT Land at Tonge Road, Sittingbourne

Members of the public are advised to confirm with Planning Services prior to the meeting that the applications 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 Friday 2 June 2023.

Tabled update added on 05.06.2023

Reports shown in previous Minutes as being deferred from that Meeting.

The Area Team Leader introduced the report as set out in the report and referred to an error at the end of paragraph 2.1 which read 168 dwellings, but should read 212 dwellings.

Parish Councillor Gill Beer, representing Tonge Parish Council, spoke against the application.

Parish Councillor Paul Townson, representing Teynham and Lynsted Parish Council, spoke against the application.

Glynn Middleton, an objector, spoke against the application.

Roland Brass, the applicant, spoke in support of the application. 

A visiting Ward Member spoke against the application.

The Chair advised Members that there was a tabled update for Members to read but it contained confidential information and if Members wished to discuss the information on the tabled update, they would need to go into closed session. There was a short adjournment to allow Members to read the exempt item.

Exclusion of the Press and Public

Resolved:

(1)   That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 5 of schedule 12A of the Act:

5. Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

There was further discussion in the closed session.

The Chair moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded Councillor Andy Booth.

Resolved: That application 22/502834/EIOUT would have been approved subject to conditions (1) to (33) as set out in the report and the completion of a section 106 agreement to include the heads of terms as set out in the reports, tabled updates and officer presentation.

The Planning Consultant introduced the application as set out in the report.

A visiting Ward Member spoke against the application.

The Chair moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded by the Vice-Chair.

The Chair invited Members to make comments, and points raised included:

·           When Members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.

Resolved:

(1)          That under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 5 and 7 of Schedule 12A of the Act:

5. Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

7. Information relation to any action in connection with the prevention, investigation or prosecution of crime.

To consider the attached report (Part 2).

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 Friday 2 June 2023.

Part 2

Applications for which PERMISSION is recommended

The Area Team Leader introduced the application as set out in the report.

Steve Davies, the agent, spoke in support of the application.

The Chair moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded by Councillor Andy Booth.

The Chair invited Members to make comments, and points raised included:

·      How many vehicles were estimated to come through the site?;

·      what was the width of the road at the junction and was the site access going to be widened to accommodate the large Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGV) coming in and out of the site;

·      replacing agricultural land for a lorry park was far from ideal but was forced into this decision due to a decision for a solar park to be installed in the countryside;

·      thought that this was the best of a bad situation;

·      page 239 of the report referred to noise pollution and sought clarification as to why there was not an extension of acoustic fencing to minimise the noise from the generator on the site;

·      wanted to know why there was no electric charger spaces on the site?;

·      wanted to ensure that the welfare cabin was not habitable;

·      could solar panels be placed on the site to avoid the need of a generator?; and

·      was the site lighting being powered by the generator during daylight hours.

The Area Team Leader responded by presenting Members with plans and layouts of the width of the road, and that KCC Highways & Transport had considered that the width to be suitable for HGV traffic. The Environmental Health Team considered that an acoustic barrier was limited to the generator and the site was located 65 meters away from the nearest residential building.

The Area Team Leader referred to the lack of electric vehicle charging points and said the reasons these were not provided was because this was a temporary permission and the site would be returned to agricultural land once no longer required.

Councillor Andy Booth asked the officer if it was possible to add an extra condition to restrict the use of the welfare cabin to ensure it could not be habitable. The Area Team Leader suggested that a condition could be added but if approved separate planning permission would be required to use the cabin as a residential unit. Councillor Andy Booth moved the motion that an extra condition should be improved to not allow the welfare cabin to be used as a residential unit.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

The Meeting was adjourned from 8:36 pm until 9:06 pm.