All Members started that they had been lobbied.

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

Mr Blythin, for the applicant, and Councillor Sellar addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That subject to the referral of the application to the Government Office for the South East and the subsequent expiry of the formal referral period and the receipt of no Direction preventing the grant of planning permission, the Development Control Manager 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 set out in the urgent update report with the amendment of condition 11 (formerly numbered 10) and an additional informative as follows:-

Condition 11 (formerly 10) (amended)

The details submitted pursuant to condition 1, in conjunction with the details submitted pursuant to condition 10 above, shall show:-

(i)  A building with a maximum height of 15m above the adjacent M20 motorway embankment and 12.5m to the highest part of the accommodation levels above the motorway embankment as indicated on drawing no. DHA/6806/03/A.

(ii)  A building with a maximum height of 21.8m above proposed external ground levels with the accommodation levels being no higher than 18.6m above proposed external ground levels as indicated on drawing no. DHA/6806/03/A.

(iii)  A building orientated as shown on drawing nos. DHA/0686/02revA and 279/PL/200A.

(iv)  A building with accommodation levels being no greater than 16m in width as shown on drawing nos. DHA/0686/02revA and 279/PL/200A and comprising no more than 150 bedrooms.

(v)  The proposed building not breaching the crest of the scarp slope of the North Downs Ridge, when viewed from the central reservation of the A249 Bearsted Road just east of the Chiltern Hundreds PH roundabout at a height of approximately 1.78m as shown on the location plan and photographic image appended to the decision notice.

Reason:  To ensure a satisfactory visual impact to the development and to reduce the visual impact on the Kent Downs AONB pursuant to policies CC6 and C3 of the South East Plan 2009 and to accord with the parameters set out in the application.

Additional Informative

You are advised that any timber cladding used externally on the building should be of a high quality and be pre-treated to avoid fading.

Voting:  10 – For  3 – Against  0 – Abstentions

Note:  Councillors Harwood and Paterson requested that their dissent from this decision be recorded.