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 those present were aware of the emergency evacuation procedure.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 October 2021 (Minute Nos. 377 - 384) as a correct record subject to the following amendment under attendance:

Councillor Ken Rowles (Substitute for Councillor Simon Clark) not Councillor Elliot Jayes.

The Minutes of the Meeting held on 14 October 2021 (Minute Nos. 377 – 384) were taken as read, approved and signed by the Chairman as a correct record subject to the following amendment under attendance:

Councillor Ken Rowles (Substitute for Councillor Simon Clark) not Councillor Elliott Jayes. 

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 Mike Baldock declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 3.2 20/502218/OUT, Home Farm, Breach Lane, Lower Halstow, Sittingbourne. Councillor Baldock remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Simon Clark declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.6 21/500222/FULL, Grove End Farm, Bredgar Road, Tunstall, Sittingbourne. Councillor Clark remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Nicholas Hampshire declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.6 21/500222/FULL, Grove End Farm, Bredgar Road, Tunstall, Sittingbourne. Councillor Hampshire remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Oliver Eakin declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of item 2.3 19/501431/FULL, Jimmy Gs, The Promenade, Leysdown, Sheerness. Councillor Eakin remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

Councillor Cameron Beart declared a Disclosable Non-Pecuniary Interest in respect of items 2.3 19/501431/FULL and 2.6 21/500222/FULL. For item 2.3, Councillor Beart did not take part in the item, and left the Council Chamber during the debate and vote on the item. For item 2.6 Councillor Beart remained in the Council Chamber with an open mind and intended to debate and vote on the item.

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 7328) by noon on Wednesday 10 November 2021.  

The Area Planning Officer introduced the application.

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

Resolved: That application 21/504415/FULL be approved (there were no conditions).

The Area Planning Officer introduced the application.

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

A member of the Planning Committee welcomed condition four which stipulated for private use only, and thanked the officers for working with the applicant.

Resolved: That application 21/501846/FULL be approved subject to conditions (1) to (8) in the report.

The Area Planning Officer introduced the application and drew Members’ attention to the tabled update which proposed a change to condition (4), to ensure any rides that had external lighting were switched off outside the operating hours of the fairground. He informed Members that the Councils Environmental Health team had visited the site and were concerned with the ride ‘Jumping Jack’ and that silencers had been fitted on the ride to mitigate the loud noises coming from it. 

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

Councillor Cameron Beart spoke on this application and said that residents had been dealing with this fairground for two years and there had been a lot of complaints  regarding the lights and noises coming from the fairground. He informed the Committee that videos from the residents had been sent to him showing the operators of the ride ‘Jumping Jack’ taking the silencers off, making the ride louder when in use. After concluding his comments, Councillor Beart left the Chamber for the remainder of the item.

In the debate that followed, Members raised the following points:

·         Concerned with how close the fairground was to neighbouring properties;

·         concerned that the conditions that would be put in place would not be regularly checked and asked how often did these get checked by enforcement?;

·         could the owners of the site be taken to magistrates court for taking the silencers off the ride?;

·         concerned with the background music as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 428.

The meeting was adjourned from 9.15 pm until 9.26 pm.

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