Tabled update added 09.11.2023

Reports shown in previous Minutes as being deferred from that Meeting.

The Planning Consultant introduced the application as set out in the report.

Roger Down, President of Sittingbourne Rugby Club, spoke in support of the application.

Gaynor Aspin, a member of Borden Residents Against Development (BRAD), spoke against the application.

The Chair moved the officer recommendation to approve the application, and this was seconded by Councillor James Hunt. 

The Chair invited Members to make comments and points raised included:

·           The widening of Cryalls Lane, Sittingbourne, was still a concern and asked for an update;

·           the Environmental Health Officers (EHO) had not visited the site in person to consider the impact of the lighting on the nature reserve;

·           asked if the floodlights in the car park were covered on this application?;

·           did not understand why Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation considered that Cryalls Lane, Sittingbourne was appropriate for the site entrance and not Wises Lane, Sittingbourne;

·           the coach and lorry turning point in the car park was too tight;

·           noted that there was only one coach parking space;

·           could a no-right turn be installed at the exit of the site to prevent vehicles from going down narrow rural lanes?;

·           pleased that the original concerns had been addressed;

·           good to see the amount of proposed biodiversity;

·           was the widening of the road happening before or after the works on the site began?;

·           could an extra condition be imposed to prevent the lightening from facing the nature reserve?; and

·           concerned about the impact this development could have on the nature reserve as it was very close.

The Planning Consultant responded to points members raised and explained that the current application was only proposing the widening of Cryalls Lane from the entrance to the site and Wises Lane. He added that proposals in future phases of the Wises Lane development would propose further widening of Cryalls Lane, but that would be for Committee to consider at future committee meetings. The Planning Consultant responded to the flood lights in the car park and explained to Members that an External Lighting Strategy only included the car parking areas and it was KCC Ecology’s opinion that the light impact would be minimal on the nature reserve. He added that the external lights on site could not be installed until a full assessment had taken place which would ensure that the external lighting scheme would not face or impact on the nature reserve.

In response to the no-right turn condition, the Development Manager said that members needed to consider that this was just an application for reserved matters, and the section 106 agreement which would normally include road traffic orders, had already been agreed at the outline stage. She added that a condition relating to the widening of the road could be imposed so that the widening occurred before the use started on the site.

Councillor James Hunt proposed that delegated authority be given to the officers to find a suitably worded condition, requiring the access to be widened before any use of the development took place. This was seconded by the Chair and on being put to the vote agreed by members.

Resolved:

(1)   That application 23/500263/REM be approved subject to conditions (1) to (11) in the report, and that delegated authority be given to officers to find a suitably worded condition requiring the access to be widened before use of the development took place.