Audio Recording

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 ensured that those present were aware of the emergency evacuation procedure.

The Chairman welcomed Councillor Ben J Martin who had replaced Councillor Eddie Thomas on the Committee.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 January 2020 (Minute Nos. 425 - 431) and the Extraordinary Meeting held on 27 January 2020 (Minute Nos. to follow) as correct records.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 9 January 2020 (Minute Nos. 425 - 431) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record subject to an amendment on page 537, item 2.2, 19/502204/FULL, Land west of Greyhound Road, Minster-on-Sea, to read that the site was unsustainable.

The Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting held on 27 January 2020 (Minute Nos. 478 - 485) 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 (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 room 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 David Simmons declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.3, 19/506013/OUT, Brogdale Farm, Brogdale Road, Ospringe as his wife was a member of Ospringe Parish Council who had made representations on the application.

To consider the following applications:

Deferred Item (1) 19/501789/FULL Land east of 11 Southsea Avenue, Minster, Kent, ME12 2JX

Deferred Item (2) 19/501921/FULL Land at Belgrave Road, Halfway, Kent, ME12 3EE

Tabled Paper for Deferred Item (2) added 6 February 2020.

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 Wednesday 5 February 2020.

Reports shown in previous Minutes as being deferred from that Meeting

The Area Planning Officer reported that the approved dwellings to either side had changed slightly, to the west they had moved forward by just over a metre and to the east, again by just over a metre.  These changes had not made a material difference to the acceptability of the proposal.

There were no questions.

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

Resolved:  That application 19/501789/FULL be approved subject to conditions (1) to (11) in the report, and to a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS) payment.

The Senior Planner referred to the tabled update for this item.

Philip Healy, an objector, spoke against the application.

Thijs Bax, the Agent, spoke in support of the application.

The Chairman invited Members to ask questions.

A Member sought clarification on whether Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation were accepting funds from two developments for one highway scheme.  The Senior Planner explained that this was not a contribution for the Halfway traffic lights junction but it was the requirement for the works to be carried out for a junction improvement scheme.  He referred the Member to condition (9) in the Committee report which outlined this requirement.  The Member asked about the £20,000 agreed previously, and the Senior Planner advised that this was for highway mitigation for the Barton Hill Drive scheme, but was unrelated to the Belgrave Road proposal.  The Major Projects Officer confirmed that the £20,000 was to discourage use of the local side roads as a rat-run, but this was solely related to the scheme at Barton Hill Drive.

A Member referred to paragraph 2.2 on page 21 of the report and sought clarification on whether the £100 contribution from the developer was for each occupier, or each dwelling.  The Senior Planner advised that on reading the Agent’s comments in paragraph 2.2, it would appear that the £100 contribution was for each occupant.  The Major Projects Officer said he believed it was per dwelling.  The Senior Planning Lawyer commented that he believed the sentence could be read either way.

A Member sought further details on the funding of the junction and referred to the Barton Hill Drive contribution of a fixed sum of £20,000.  She sought clarification on the Grampian condition, and she asked which developer  ...  view the full minutes text for item 502.

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 5 February 2020.

Please note that item 2.1 has been withdrawn from the agenda (note added 4 February 2020).

PART 2

Applications for which PERMISSION is recommended

This application was withdrawn from the agenda.

The Area Planning Officer referred Members to paragraph 2.3 in the report.  He explained that the plan had recently been amended to provide better access from  the accommodation to the south-west facing garden area.  He said this had now been widened to two metres.  The Area Planning Officer said that drawing number 711-06 in condition (2) needed to be deleted and replaced with the revised drawing number.

Mrs Lena Jordan, representing Milstead Parish Council, spoke against the application.

Dr Stewart Aaron, on behalf of the Agent, spoke in support of the application.

The Chairman invited Members to ask questions.

A Member asked how far away the application site was from the Kent Science Park (KSP) and the Area Planning Officer confirmed that it was half a mile away, and that both the KSP and this site had access onto Broadoak Road.

A Member asked about any further garaging on the site and the Area Planning Officer explained that if the application was approved, there would no longer be a garage facility on the site.

A Member asked if there were any guarantees that the building would remain as a holiday let.  The Area Planning Officer referred the Member to condition (7) on page 119 of the report which stipulated its use as holiday accommodation, and for use by any person or group for no longer than four weeks in any calendar year.

A Member asked whether there were any proposals to re-locate the parked cars and workshop.  The Area Planning Officer explained that there were currently no proposals to replace the garage, and in any case this could be done under Permitted Development Rights.

A Member asked for further clarification of the building’s use as a holiday let.  The Area Planning Officer explained that the Applicant wanted some additional room for extended family to stay and had gone down the route of change of use to holiday lets.  The Member requested there be a condition to let the property out for a minimum period as a holiday let.  The Area Planning Officer advised that it was not possible to do that.

A Member asked whether there were any Permitted Development Rights on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 503.

The Meeting was adjourned from 8.50pm to 8.58pm.

At 10pm Members agreed to the suspension of Standing Orders in order that the Committee could complete its business.