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20/500269/FULL - Land South Of South Cottage, High Street

Meeting: 20/08/2020 - Planning Committee (Item 335)

335 20/500269/FULL - ERECTION OF 1 NO. 4 BEDROOM DETACHED DWELLING WITH ASSOCIATED AMENITY (RESUBMISSION OF 19/503872/FULL) - LAND SOUTH OF SOUTH COTTAGE, HIGH STREET, STAPLEHURST, KENT pdf icon PDF 409 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

 

The Chairman read out statements on behalf of Mr Bax, agent for the applicant, and Ms Ideson, Clerk to Staplehurst Parish Council.

 

Councillor Brice (Visiting Member) addressed the meeting.

 

During the discussion reference was made to paragraph 12 of the Inspector’s decision letter in respect of the most recent refusal of permission for the development of the site where the Inspector had concluded that the proposals would result in the loss of public views of the listed buildings and would remove the visual link between them.  They would no longer appear as part of a cluster of buildings/grounds of similar age.  This would be very harmful to the setting of these designated heritage assets.  By developing the gap between them, and substantially reducing their visibility, their importance in the street scene would be diminished.  The setting, therefore, makes a positive and important contribution to the significance of the heritage assets.

 

It was suggested that although the application had changed since the previous refused application, it had failed to address the issues raised in paragraph 12 of the Inspector’s decision letter.

 

Contrary to the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Development, the Committee agreed to refuse permission. In making this decision, the Committee considered that the proposed development would be contrary to Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan policies, including Neighbourhood Plan policy PW4 and Local Plan policy DM4 (1), for the following summarised reasons:

 

The application site is an open gap which contributes positively to the setting of the adjacent listed buildings and the character of the Staplehurst Conservation Area and the proposed development would cause harm to the setting of the adjacent listed buildings, fail to preserve or enhance the character of the Staplehurst Conservation Area and fail to protect or enhance the historic environment contrary to Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan policies.  This harm would be less than substantial but there are little or no public benefits arising from the proposals which would outweigh that harm.

 

The Development Manager requested that delegated powers be given to the Head of Planning and Development to finalise the reasons for refusal which would include the issues summarised above and reference those matters raised in paragraph 12 of the Inspector’s decision letter in respect of the most recent refusal of permission for the development of the site.

 

RESOLVED:  That permission be refused and that the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to finalise the reasons for refusal which will include the issues summarised above and reference those matters raised in paragraph 12 of the Inspector’s decision letter in respect of the most recent refusal of permission for the development of the site.

 

Voting:  12 – For  0 – Against  0 - Abstentions