Having disclosed a prejudicial interest, Councillor Paterson left the meeting whilst this application was discussed.

All other Members stated that they had been lobbied.

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

Mrs Hennessy, an objector, and Mr Bolton, for the applicant, addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:

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

1.  A minimum of 40% affordable housing on site;

2.  A requirement for the applicant to relocate within a 15km radius of the application site, within the Borough of Maidstone, prior to the demolition of the existing building;

3.  A contribution of £1,440 for Kent County Council for additional book stock for the local library;

4.  A contribution of £7,968.75 for Kent County Council towards the cost of the additional youth and community workers required as a result of the development;

5.  A contribution of £379.65 for Kent County Council towards the cost of the additional demands placed upon adult social services as a result of the development;

6.  A contribution for the Primary Care Trust of £120 per occupant per dwelling for a period of five years for improvements to the existing healthcare facilities at the King Street surgery; and

7.  A contribution of £1,575 per dwelling for Maidstone Borough Council Parks and Open Space Department primarily for improvements to the play area within Mote Park with the balance being spent on improvements to the Len Valley Nature Reserve

the Head of Development Management 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, and the additional condition and informative set out in the urgent update report with the amendment of condition 8 and the informative set out in the urgent update report and an additional condition as follows:-

Condition 8 (amended)

A scheme of landscaping using indigenous species as required under condition 1 above shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained. The development shall also include:-

·  The provision of a hedge along the Hastings Road frontage;

·  The provision of a landscaped buffer along the southern boundary of the application site, which shall be at least 2metres in depth and should include a hedge and trees as well as low planting;

·  The provision of a high quality landscaping scheme, which should include provision of suitable tree planting, along the eastern boundary of the site adjacent to the rear gardens of properties on Greenside; and

·  The retention of the trees shown within the arboricultural report (unless otherwise agreed in writing).

Details of the measures for their protection in the course of development, together with a programme for the scheme's implementation and long term management shall also be submitted.  The scheme shall be designed using the principles established in the Council's adopted Landscape Character Assessment and Landscape Guidelines.

Reason: No such details have been submitted and in the interests of visual amenity in accordance with policy ENV6 of the Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and PPS1.

Informative (Amended)

Due to the central location of the application site, any proposal will be required to be of a high quality of design that respects the existing street scene.  Prior to the submission of reserved matters or full application for this site, the applicants, or their successors in title, should enter into pre-application discussions with Ward Members and Council Officers.

Additional Condition

No development, including demolition of existing structures, shall commence until a programme of building recording and analysis (the “Programme”) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The Programme shall include a written scheme of investigation.  The resulting report shall be submitted to the Local Planning Authority, the Historic Environment Record held by Kent County Council and the Maidstone Museum before first occupation of the development hereby permitted.

Reason: To prevent the unrecorded loss of a non-designated heritage asset, in accordance with policy BE6 of the South East Plan 2009 and central government planning policy and guidance in PPS5 Planning and the Historic Environment.

Voting:  11 – For  0 – Against  1 – Abstention