9.30am – 15/505910/REM Land adj. Coleshall Farm, Ferry Road, Iwade, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8QY

10.30am (approximately) – 15/506335/FULL 30 Woodside Gardens, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 1SG

12pm (approximately) – 15/505114/FULL Land adjacent to and forming part of 2 Swedish Houses, Throwley Road, Throwley, Kent, ME13 0PF

PRESENT:  Councillors Mike Baldock, Cameron Beart, Bobbin, Andy Booth, Richard Darby, Mike Dendor, James Hall, James Hunt, Mike Henderson, Bryan Mulhern (Chairman), Prescott (Vice-Chairman) and Ben Stokes.

ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Councillor Mick Galvin.

OFFICERS PRESENT:  Jo Millard and Ross McCardle.

APOLOGIES: Councillors Roger Clark, Mark Ellen and Sue Gent.

The Chairman welcomed the applicant, representatives from Iwade Parish Council and members of the public to the meeting and outlined the format the meeting would take. He advised that Councillor James Hunt would be spokesperson for Iwade Parish Council.

The Senior Planner introduced the item which was for the Approval of Reserved matters including details of access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale for the erection of 86 dwellings pursuant to outline application SW/08/1127.  He advised that Iwade Parish Council had raised objection to the application.  Their views, along with the views included within eight letters of objection were outlined in the 15 October 2015 Planning Committee Report.

The Senior Planner advised that amended drawings had recently been received from the applicants addressing some of the objections raised; swapping of 2.5 storey units with 2-storey units and re-siting of units to provide better back-to-back relationships with properties in Mansfield Drive and minimise potential for overlooking; a knee height railing to be added adjacent to the stream to prevent pedestrians using the footpath from falling in; boundary hedge on the northern site boundary to be extended closer to the stream to prevent access through Mansfield Drive; provision of 1.8 metre fencing and hedging along the northern boundary.  The Senior Planner supported the amendments, and advised that it would now be difficult to provide the planned wildlife corridor running east-west across the site and this was not a specific requirement of the outline planning permission, but that one was provided along the stream, running north-south.

Councillor James Hunt, as Iwade Parish Council representative, thanked the Applicants for their positive amendments to the scheme but asked if the fencing could be reconsidered as there may be issues of maintenance of overgrowth in between existing and proposed fencing.  He also suggested that the planned wildlife corridor would have broken the site up.

The Ward Councillor supported the Parish Council’s response.

A member of the Parish Council asked if the 1.8 metre fencing proposed would be erected within new or existing property boundaries.  The Senior Planner advised they would be within the ownership boundaries of the new dwellings.  The Chairman advised that the difference in levels on site would be considered by Members of the Planning Committee when they toured the site, after the site meeting.

A local resident said that existing conservatories were not shown on the plans which meant some properties were less than the minimum 20 metre back-to-back suggested and this could cause overlooking.  Another resident suggested there was insufficient space to provide 2 parking spaces to each property on plots to the rear of 38-48 Mansfield Drive and asked who would be responsible for the upkeep of the new fencing in this location.  The Senior Planner advised that the new owners of the property would be responsible for the new fencing.

Members then toured the site with the officer.