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 Director of Corporate Services as Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

10am - 16/504494/FULL Owens Court Farm, Owens Court Road, Selling, ME13 9QN

The Chairman welcomed the applicant’s agent, Selling Parish Council representative and the 18 members of the public to the meeting.

The Planning Officer introduced the application which sought permission for the erection of a cold store at Owens Court Farm, Owens Court Road, Selling.  The Planning Officer reported that the site was an established fruit farm, situated in a rural area some distance outside any built-up area boundaries and adjacent to, but not within, an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  The Planning Officer described the site as set out in the officers report which was considered at the Planning Committee meeting on 18 August 2016.

The Planning Officer stated that the proposal was a for a new chilling/cold store building towards the rear of the farmyard site leading from Owens Court Road.  The building would take the form of a contemporary modular agricultural building, measuring 20 metres in width, 15 metres in depth, and 6.3 metres to the ridge height.

The Planning Officer reported that that the application was accompanied by a Transport Statement, prepared in May 2016, and he drew attention to reference made to Nickle Farm in Chartham, seven miles from Owens Court, where the packing and storage facilities for the company were based.  He read out paragraph 2.05 of the Committee report for Members.

The Planning Officer further reported that forty-three letters and emails of objection had been received from local residents as summarised on page 74, paragraph 6.01 of the Committee report, which the Planning Officer read out for Members.  Selling Parish Council raised objections on similar grounds.  Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation raised no objection.  The Council’s Environmental Health Team Manager raised no objection, subject to conditions protecting residential amenity.  The Kent Downs AONB Management Unit raised no objection.  The Council’s Rural Planning Consultant considered that the case for the need for the building had been made. 

The Planning Officer stated that the key issues to consider were those of visual amenity, residential amenity, the impact on nearby listed buildings and the AONB, highway safety, and whether or not the proposed building had been fully justified.  Members would be familiar with the content of the committee report, and the manner in which that report addressed those issues.

The Planning Officer concluded that officers were of the opinion that the proposed building was modest in scale; that its use was justified, and that its effect on visual and residential amenity, and highway safety, would be less than substantial.  The recommendation to Members was that the proposal be approved, subject to strict conformity with the planning conditions within the report.

Mr Nicholas Rooke, the applicant’s agent, advised that following discussions with officers they had agreed to reduce the size of the store and noted that the footprint was now smaller than a tennis court.  He explained that the site was on the ‘cusp’ of the current farm site and grade 1 agricultural land and was a modest proposal.  Mr Rooke stated that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 851.