To consider the following applications:

Def Item 1 19/504412/FULL, Oyster Bay House Chambers Wharf, Faversham

Def Item 2 19/501551/FULL, 122 Scrapsgate Road, Minster

Members of the public are advised to confirm with Planning Services prior to the meeting that the applications will be considered at this meeting.

Requests to speak on these items must be registered with Democratic Services (democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call us on 01795 417328) by noon on Wednesday 14 October 2020.

Additional information has been added to Deferred Item 1 which might be referred to at the meeting.

DEFERRED ITEMS

Reports shown in previous Minutes as being deferred from that Meeting

The Area Planning Officer introduced the report.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to refuse the application and this was seconded by Councillor Eddie Thomas.

Members were invited to debate the application and the following points were made:

·         Could a condition be imposed requiring that schools be invited to visit for educational purposes?

·         if agreed the telescope would eventually become part of the local heritage;

·         PU panels were unsightly;

·         noted that Faversham Town Council supported the application;

·         was there a better option for providing solar panels?;

·         as a potentially historic building it was important that the Council ensured good quality materials were used; and

·         copper could be used for the dome as they were on glass-reinforced plastic boats.

The Area Planning Officer stated that the proposal was for the applicant’s private use and did not think it would be possible to impose a condition to open it up for school trips.  He considered that electronic solar slates would be a better option.

On being put to the vote the motion to refuse the application was lost.

Councillor Monique Bonney moved the following motion:  That the application be delegated to officers to approve subject to discussions with the applicant to ensure a suitable copper dome covering and integrated or tiled solar panels be used.  This was seconded by Councillor Tony Winckless.

There was some discussion about the need to impose suitable conditions relating to use of appropriate materials and limiting the use as a domestic facility. 

Councillor Monique Bonney moved the following amendment to the motion to approve or refuse the application:  That delegated authority be given to officers to approve or refuse the application subject to the dome being covered in copper, and the solar panels being either flush fitting or solar slates, or to refuse the application if these criteria were not met, and in the case of an approval to impose appropriate conditions requiring use of suitable building materials and limiting the use to private use.  This was seconded by Councillor Tony Winckless.  On being put to the vote the amendment was agreed.

On being put to the vote the motion to approve the application was agreed.

Resolved:  That application 19/504412/FULL be delegated to officers to approve or refuse subject to discussions with the applicant to ensure that a suitable copper dome covering and integrated or tiled solar panels were used and in the case of an approval the imposition of appropriate conditions requiring the use of suitable building materials and limiting the use to private use.

The Area Planning Officer reported that the agent had sent an email to Members of the Committee which had not been sent to officers.  The letter stated that farriery was a rural craft and, as such, it was reasonable to locate it in a rural area with access to horses and forge.

The Area Planning Officer stated that as set-out in the application, and reconfirmed by the Agent, no horses would visit the site and the forge on the  application site. 

The Agent had also stated that Paragraph 83 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) endorsed the re-use and new buildings to support rural businesses and that the Local Plan policies were out-of-date in that respect.  The Area Planning Officer advised that in fact Paragraph 83 of the revised NPPF was exactly the same as the original version, which the Local Plan was drafted in light of.  Consequently the Local Plan policies in that respect were not out-of-date and remained applicable and were a key policy here.  He explained that DM3 of the Local Plan, used much of the text from the NPPF, and he read-out the supporting text to DM3 and the policy itself for Members.  

The Area Planning Officer stated that the proposal failed to comply with Policy, there were no material considerations which justified approval and the recommendation remained for refusal.

Mr Bob Pugh, the Applicant, spoke in support of the application.

The Chairman moved the officer recommendation to refuse the application and this was seconded by Councillor Eddie Thomas.

Members were invited to debate the application and the following points were made:

·         Welcomed the application which would allow apprentices to learn a new skill;

·         should support as it was a rural trade in a rural location;

·         the proposed use would not generate a lot of noise;

·         it would not have a detrimental impact;

·         noted it was against Council policy, however it was on the applicant’s own land and did not consider it would have a detrimental impact;

·         considered it was an appropriate use for the location;

·         suggested that a condition be imposed that the site be used as a farrier only;

·         was a highly technical rural skill but should be for the personal use of the applicant only;

·         concerned that the need had not been demonstrated;

·         was it an ongoing farrier business? and

·         the speaker had stated that customers would attend the site so would need to ensure appropriate highway conditions were imposed;

On being put to the vote the motion to refuse the application was lost.

Councillor James Hunt moved the following motion:  That the application be approved subject to the imposition of conditions requiring that the site be used as a farriers only, business hours to be Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays and no horses to be bought onto or shoed at the site other than the applicants horses.  This was seconded by
Councillor Monique Bonney.    On being put to the vote the motion was agreed.

Resolved:  That application 19/501551/FULL be approved subject to the imposition of conditions requiring that the site be used as a farriers only, business hours to be Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays and no horses to be bought onto or shoed at the site other than the applicant’s horses.