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.

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.

9.30 am – 2.3 15/500330/FULL – Keycol Farm, Keycol Hill, Bobbing, ME9 8NA

The Chairman welcomed the applicants, Ward Members, Parish Council representative and members of the public to the meeting.

The Senior Planner introduced the retrospective application for change of use to a gypsy site for one static caravan and two tourers for Mr and Mrs Smith and their four children.  A day room would also be provided.  The site had been covered with ‘Type 1’ hardstanding for parking and an earth bund surrounded the site on three sides.

The Senior Planner advised that Mr Smith owned many of the surrounding agricultural buildings and the long narrow access track that served the site.  KCC Highways raised no objection and considered that given the small scale nature of the proposal it would not have a significant impact on highway safety and amenity.  The Senior Planner stated that the site was within a sustainable location and was not covered by any landscape designations.

The Senior Planner drew attention to a condition restricting the use of the site.  With regard to archaeology at the site, she requested a condition requiring that a programme of works was agreed before any further groundworks are undertaken at the site. 

The Chairman of Newington Parish Council raised concern about the access to the site and the impact that the increase in traffic would have on the A2.  He explained that the Parish Council were also concerned about the account from the applicant and believed that he had made himself homeless.

Mr Smith, the applicant, stated that he simply wanted to locate his family on a permanent site, particularly to improve the education of his children.

The Ward Members spoke against the application and raised the following concerns: the increase in the number of vehicles accessing the land; was an agricultural site; whether the application was for four pitches; the bunding was unacceptable and would allow overlooking into adjacent gardens; a lot of the screening provided was deciduous; storage of wheelie bins; disappointment that KCC Highway officer was not present; other applications in the vicinity had been refused due to the traffic on the busy A2; and concerns about social cohesion.

Mrs Smith, the applicant, stated that with regard to concerns about access, they only had two vehicles and noted that the site was also accessed by a local farmer who used it for heavy farming machinery and had done so for many years.  Mrs Smith stated that with regard to wheelie bins, she would herself take these to the end of the track for emptying and they had no intention of climbing the bund to look into other people’s gardens.

Local residents raised the following points: concern regarding the future use of the land and type of vehicles accessing the site ; increase in noise, in particular the applicants’ children using motorbikes; access was dangerous; this was a retrospective application; how would the site be monitored by planning enforcement; it was back-land development and behind the building line; the number of local residents present at this meeting showed the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 100.