10 am – 23/500616/FULL 1 Norwood Walk West, Sittingbourne, ME10 1QF

11.30 am – 20/501573/FULL Nicholls Transport, Lydbrook Close, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1NW

PRESENT:  Councillors Mike Baldock (Chair), Kieran Golding, Terry Thompson, Angie Valls, and Karen Watson.

OFFICERS PRESENT:  Andrew Byrne, Rebecca Corrigan and Kellie Mackenzie.

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE:  Councillor Ann Cavanagh.

APOLOGIES: Councillors Andy Booth, Simon Clark, Mike Henderson, James Hunt, Charlie Miller, Julien Speed and Tony Winckless.

The Chair welcomed the applicant, representatives from Bobbing Parish Council, members of the public and Members to the meeting.

The Senior Planning Officer introduced the application which sought erection of a two-storey side extension to a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) at 1 Norwood Walk West, Sittingbourne.  The proposal would provide a 5-bedroom HMO.

A Ward Member spoke against the application and raised concerns in respect of drainage, parking, and the proximity to neighbouring properties and considered that the application was not in-keeping with the area.

Parish Councillor Peter French, representing Bobbing Parish Council, spoke against the application and said the Parish Council was concerned that it would exacerbate problems of flooding and parking.

Councillor Karen Watson, also a member of the Planning Committee, said she was a local resident but was going to keep an open mind with relation to the application.

Members of the public spoke against the application and raised points which included:

·         The proposal was too close to number 15 Woolett Road, Sittingbourne resulting in loss of light to that property;

·         how would the construction equipment be brought onto the site?;

·         the proposal would result in overlooking to adjacent properties;

·         there were already issues with parking and sewage in the area;

·         concerned that the proposed downstairs lounge could be used as an additional bedroom;

·         the traffic plan submitted by the applicant was not representative of local traffic as it had not been undertaken during peak traffic times;

·         the emergency services already experienced difficulties accessing the site due to parking so the area could not accommodate more on-street parking;

·         where would the building materials be stored?;

·         safety concerns during construction of the extension as a lot of residents used the footway adjacent to the site; and

·         adjacent properties would be adversely impacted by the proposal.

In response the Area Planning Officer clarified that no more than six residents could occupy the property as an HMO as set-out in condition (5) of the report.  If the number of occupants living at the property exceeded six, which he understood included children, then planning permission would be required as the property would then become a larger HMO that would fall within a different use class.  The Area Planning Officer advised that a condition to manage how materials and equipment were stored and brought onto the site could be reasonably imposed in this instance, given the properties did not have a road frontage.  The applicant would need to contact Kent County Council (KCC) about any potential impact to the local footways during construction.

In response to a question from the Chair, the Senior Planning Officer stated that the Council’s Parking Standards required two parking spaces per property.  The Area Planning Officer said that it would be difficult to support refusal of the application on highway grounds at any subsequent appeal based on an increase of one bedroom.

The Senior Planning Officer advised that if the application was approved and the applicant did use the downstairs lounge as a bedroom and the number of occupants exceeded six, then local residents could notify the planning enforcement department.

Members viewed the application site and surrounding areas with officers.  They also viewed the application site from the rear garden of 15 Woolett Road, Sittingbourne following a request from a resident.