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Item 15, pages 18-34                                                                        

18/505455/REM

Land East of Gleamingwood Drive

Consultations:

KCC (H&T): The emergency access point should not encourage pedestrians onto a narrow country lane without footways. Details should be submitted regarding a suitable gated design for consideration.

KCC (Ecology): The submitted site plans demonstrate that the minimum size buffer area has been included within the site (in some areas it is larger). Garden areas are not directly adjacent to the buffer area and there is a path running through the buffer area - both of these inclusions will minimise the risk of garden grabbing occurring within the site. There is a need to ensure that the dense scrub area is sufficiently dense to ensure that it will prevent access in to the woodland except at designated points. Some areas within the landscape plan do suggest that the scrub is very narrow and the buffer is mostly meadow. There is a need to ensure that the scrub will be planted as soon as possible to ensure that it is established by the time the development is occupied.  There is a need to ensure that there is minimal light spill from the lighting. The houses should provided with security lights to ensure that the external lighting can be designed to minimise light spill.  In terms of submission of a management plan for the site and woodland, there is a need to ensure that it is implemented for the lifetime of the development. In particular it should ensure that the buffer area is replanted if damaged.

Appraisal

To clarify, the scheme is not CIL–liable as the outline planning permission predates Maidstone Borough Council’s adoption of CIL.

There is a typographical error in the Lordswood Leisure Centre contribution which is £80,000.

The application is purely for the Reserved Matters of access (although the access through Ancient Woodland was approved in detail), appearance, landscaping, layout, and scale. The RMs had to be submitted before 30 November 2018 to prevent expiry of the appeal decision. The application therefore does not cover any details reserved by conditions or details covered by the legal agreement (which have later time triggers).

In the Unilateral Undertaking, the time triggers for the approval of the Biomass Delivery Plan and the Woodland and Structural Landscaping Management Plan are before implementation of the development.

A Woodland Management Plan is required by condition 7 of the outline planning permission and an Ecological Design Strategy by condition 10.

Lighting is controlled by condition 15 of the outline planning permission with the Inspector stating that is necessary for reasons of biological diversity.

The details of the emergency access are controlled by condition 16 of the outline planning permission.

The installation of bat boxes/bricks and bird boxes/bricks is controlled by condition 17 of the outline planning permission.

The biomass boiler is required in the Unilateral Undertaking. If that were no longer to be promoted by the developer, there would need to be a mutually agreed variation to the legal agreement as it was signed on 23 October 2015 and is less than 5 years old.

Condition 1 has been amended to provide greater clarification as to what is expected.

Amend Condition 1

Unless otherwise approved in writing, the development shall include the following materials: profiled Larch cladding, Black stained profiled Larch cladding; Black rainwater goods; Grey aluminium windows and doors. The roof shall be natural slate or composite (ie slate waste) roof slates. Development shall not commence above damp proof course level until full constructional cross section details of the following matters have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in the form of drawings of either scale 1:20 or 1:10:-

a) new external joinery

b) details of eaves, verges and roof overhangs

c) details of balconies, projecting bays and porch canopies

d) details of rain water goods

e) details of the cladding to all plots as per the elevational drawings hereby approved.

The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason: To ensure the appearance of the buildings accord with the appeal decision and Energy Strategy of the outline application whereby the buildings would be designed to blend as far as possible into the woodland setting and include a high proportion of recycled materials.

Recommendation Remains Unchanged