The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Development Control Manager.

Mrs Cook, an objector, and Councillors Naghi and Chittenden addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:

1.  That subject to the prior completion of a legal agreement, in such terms as the Head of Legal Services may advise, to secure:-

  (i)  A contribution of £12,312 (plus any legal costs) to the NHS West Kent Primary Care Trust;

  (ii)  A contribution of £17,325 for parks and open spaces to be spent within a two mile radius of the application site; and

  (iii)  A contribution of £26,785 towards adult education, libraries and youth and community facilities within the locality of the application site

the Development Control Manager be given delegated powers to grant permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report, and the additional informatives set out in the urgent update report with the amendment of condition 6 and additional informatives as follows:

Condition 6 (amended)

No development shall take place until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of landscaping, using indigenous species, which shall include indications of all existing trees, hedgerows and boundary planted areas on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development in conjunction with the details required pursuant to condition 8, and a programme for the approved scheme's implementation to include the planting of the southern boundary landscaping in the first planting season following commencement of the development and the scheme’s long term management.  The scheme shall be designed using the principles established in the Council's adopted Landscape Character Assessment and Landscape Guidelinesand shall include the use of climbing plants on, and trees adjacent to, the wall to the south boundary of the site and trees.  The submitted details shall include inter-alia full consideration of the protection of potential slow worm habitats in and around the marginal boundary areas during construction.  The approved protection measures shall be implemented before any equipment, machinery or materials are brought onto the site and shall be maintained until all equipment, machinery and surplus materials have been removed from the site.  Nothing shall be stored or placed, nor fires lit, within any of the areas protected in accordance with this condition.  The siting of barriers/ground protection shall not be altered, nor ground levels changed, nor excavations made within these areas without the written consent of the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:  No such details have been submitted and in the interests of the visual amenities of the locality, the safeguarding of existing trees, hedgerows, boundary planted areas and potential slow worm habitats to be retained in accordance with policy ENV6 of the Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and PPS1 and PPS9, and the interests of the residential amenity of the occupiers of the properties to the south of the site in accordance with policies CC1 and CC6 of the South East Plan 2009 and PPS1.

Additional Informatives

A Development Panel should be established to monitor all aspects of the development’s progress including compliance with all conditions; the Panel to include representatives of Council Officers, Ward Members and the applicants/developer.

The materials submitted in accordance with condition 2 (materials), with particular reference to the hanging tiles, should reflect the older landmark buildings in the local vicinity.

2.  That the details to be submitted pursuant to condition 6 (landscaping) must be agreed in consultation with the East Ward Members.

Voting:  12 – For  0 – Against  0 – Abstentions

Note:  Councillor Mrs Wilson left the meeting during consideration of this application.  She returned after the discussion and voting (6.55 p.m.).