The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development.

Mr Collins addressed the meeting on behalf of the applicant.

RESOLVED:  That subject to the prior completion of a S106 legal agreement in such terms as the Head of Legal Services may advise to secure the following:

• The provision of 40% affordable housing;

• A contribution of £3,000 per dwelling towards highway capacity improvements at the Loose Road/Sutton Road junction (such as a roundabout or highway reconfiguration with physical traffic signal alterations and pedestrian and cycle connections to the town centre) and approaches to the Town Centre Bridge gyratory traffic signal junctions, necessary to mitigate against the severe impact of the development on congestion and highway safety at these junctions;

• A contribution of £4,000 per applicable house and £1,000 per applicable flat towards build cost, and £2,701.63 per applicable house and £675.41 per applicable flat towards land costs towards the construction of a new primary school;

• A contribution of £2,359.80 per applicable house and £589.95 per applicable flat towards the extension of a secondary school within Maidstone;

• A contribution of £1,575 per dwelling towards improvements to Mangravet Recreation Ground, Queen Elizabeth Square play area, sports facilities at Parkwood Recreation Ground or Mote Park Adventure Zone;

·  A contribution of £56,440 based on an average occupancy of 2.34 persons per dwelling towards improvements at the named surgeries of Grove Park Surgery, Mote Medical Centre, Northumberland Court Surgery, Wallis Avenue Surgery, Boughton Lane Surgery, College Practice, Bearsted Medical Practice, Marsham Street Surgery and The Vine Surgery all of which are within 2 miles of the site;

• A contribution of £30.70 per dwelling towards community learning for adult learning classes or outreach adult learning in Maidstone;

• A contribution of £8.44 per dwelling towards youth services and the provision of staff and equipment for Maidstone Borough youth outreach services in the area;

• A contribution of £145.73 per dwelling to provide expansion of library services in Maidstone and additional book stock and equipment; and

• A contribution of £53.88 per dwelling towards adult social services being the provision of health linked care needs and assessment suite, the enhancement of local community facilities to ensure full DDA access to clients, a specialist changing place facility to enable clients with multiple needs to integrate and use everyday facilities and to provide assistive technology (Telecare) to enable clients to live as independently and secure as possible,

the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to grant outline permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report, with the amendment of condition 7 and an additional informative as follows:

Condition 7 (amended)

The development shall not commence until details of foul water drainage, which shall include any necessary off-site improvements to the local network, have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority in consultation with Southern Water.  The approved details and off-site works shall be implemented in full prior to the first occupation of the development.

Reason:  In the interest of pollution and flood prevention.

Additional Informative

On site renewable energy sources should be built in to any subsequent reserved matters application(s) or application for full planning permission.

Voting:  10 – For  1 – Against  0 – Abstentions