The Committee considered the report and the urgent update report of the Head of Development Management.  It was noted that this application had been reported to the Committee at its meeting held on 19 September 2024.  The Committee agreed to grant permission subject to the prior completion of S106 legal agreements.  The decision had not been issued and further representations received from Natural England and Lenham Parish Council on the day of the meeting, but not heard by the Committee, needed to be considered.

When introducing the application, the Principal Planning Officer advised the Committee that to accord with the Habitats Regulations Assessment, she was recommending that condition(s) be imposed securing details on construction management and landscape management matters.

Councillor Walmsley of Lenham Parish Council addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That subject to:

A.  The adoption of an Appropriate Assessment for Phase 2 under the Conservation of Species and Habitats Regulations 2017 (as amended);

B.  The prior completion of legal agreement(s) in such terms as the Head of Legal Partnership may advise to secure:

  (a) the Heads of Terms set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report, with the further amendment of the Head of Terms relating to the proposed 30-year management plan to ensure that the ecological benefits of the northern and eastern landscape buffers are maximised; and

  (b) the prior payment of S106 monitoring fees as set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report; and

C.  The conditions and informatives set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report, and the condition(s) recommended by the Principal Planning Officer when introducing the application,

the Head of Development Management be given delegated powers to grant permission and to be able to add, settle or amend any necessary Heads of Terms, planning conditions and/or informatives in line with the matters set out in the recommendation and as resolved by the Planning Committee.

Voting:  13 – For  0 – Against  0 – Abstentions