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

The representative of Kent Highways advised the Committee that the provision of the traffic island involved physical works to the A20 carriageway.  A road works embargo had been in force on the A20 due to the Brexit preparations being undertaken on the M20 by Highways England.  The embargo was lifted in April but had resulted in a backlog of highway works affecting the A20.  As a result of the backlog the applicant had been unable to secure the road space to build the traffic island until the end of October.  Kent County Council as the local highway authority acknowledged that these circumstances had compromised the ability of the applicant to achieve the timely provision of the traffic island.  It was therefore reasonable to allow a limited number of dwellings (no more than six) to be occupied in advance of the traffic island being completed.  Accordingly, no objection to the proposed variation of the condition had been raised.

The Chairman informed Members that Councillors J and T Sams who had called-in the application for consideration by the Committee were unable to attend the meeting due to a family bereavement.

Councillor Munford said that Councillors J and T Sams had asked him to inform the Committee that they strongly supported Lenham Parish Council’s objections to the application and they would have reinforced these objections if they had been able to attend the meeting as they believed that no occupation should take place until the traffic island is completed on safety grounds.

RESOLVED:  That subject to the prior completion of a Supplemental Deed to tie this planning permission into the Deed of Agreement pursuant to Section 106 dated 26 January 2017 and the Deed of Variation dated 27 February 2018 relating to the original planning permission reference 14/503411/FULL and the Supplemental Deed made pursuant to Section 106 relating to the new planning permission reference 18/504343/FULL dated 31 December 2018, the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to grant permission subject to the conditions and informative set out in the report.

Voting:  13 – For  0 – Against  0 - Abstentions