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 – 3.1 16/500627/FULL Marsh Bank, Old Ferry Road, Iwade, ME9 8SW

The Chairman welcomed the applicant, the applicant’s agent and two representatives from Iwade Parish Council to the meeting.

The Senior Planner introduced the application which sought planning permission for the stationing of three static mobile homes for the purposes of providing affordable housing.  He explained that the mobile homes would lie on a roughly north-south line in the centre of the plot.  Access would be from the west, adjacent to the existing dwellings.  Each mobile home would have two parking spaces and a garden.

The Senior Planner advised that the site was one kilometre from Iwade, and that the adjacent highway had a 60mph speed limit, was not lit, and did not have a pedestrian footpath.  He considered the site to be unsustainable and poorly connected to local services.  The Senior Planner explained that mobile homes were not normally accepted as an affordable housing option, and the application was contrary to policy.

Mr Mick Drury, the applicant’s agent, explained that the three units would not be managed by a housing association as affordable housing, but would be sold to local people at an affordable price.  He advised that the site would be tidied by the applicant.  The hedge to the front of the site would remain, and Mr Drury considered there would be no impact on the open countryside.

The two representatives from Iwade Parish Council had nothing further to add to the objections they had raised as outlined in the report which went to Planning Committee on 26 May 2016.

A Ward Member spoke in support of the application.  He explained that the application was on a brownfield site which was currently an eyesore and would be landscaped.  The Ward Member considered the site was sustainable, and explained that it was possible to walk to Iwade and the local services that were there.  He reminded Members that numerous houses were going to be built nearby, and he considered the three homes proposed, on the brownfield site, were acceptable.

A Member queried why the surface water drainage, foul drainage and cess pools were outside the development site.  Mr Drury explained that the applicant owned the surrounding area of which the application site was part of.  Further clarification on the details of the location of the surface water drainage, foul drainage and cess pools would be provided at the Planning Committee meeting on 30 June 2016.

Members toured the site with the officer.