Urgent Update – 18/502683 –– Item 14 pages 36-72

Lyewood Farm, Boughton Monchelsea

Additional Local Resident objection: Safety and Congestion Concerns: Traffic would emerge onto a blind bend where Green Lane is at its narrowest, if a large vehicle such as a bus or lorry is encountered, would become an accident black spot; extra traffic towards the village would cause severe problems due to the extensive parking on Church Street.

KCC Ecology:

Sufficient information has been provided: the reports have highlighted that the works may impact breeding birds and hedgehogs and advise that the mitigation measures detailed in table 7 Phase 2 Ecological Surveys & Assessment. (SES. July18) are implemented during construction.  The application provides opportunities to incorporate features into the design which are beneficial to wildlife, such as native species planting or the installation of bat/bird nest boxes. We advise that measures to enhance biodiversity are secured as a condition of any granted planning permission.

Officer Response:

KCC Highways raise no objections in principle to the main access onto Green Lane nor congestion impacts of the traffic from the development proposed.

It is understood that the developer has suggested 2 options for the improvements to the footway at Green Lane and depending on the results of a safety audit. The options that will be investigated for the s278 works could involve a widening of the footway with either 2 way or 1-way priority on the carriageway depending on the available width within the adopted highway.

The submitted ecology report indicates that mitigation/enhancement will be in the form of: Creation of chestnut coppice woodland, wildflower/grassland, wildlife friendly SuDS, transitional habitats, gapping up of hedgerows, planting species of benefit to wildlife and habitat management with greenspace areas; hedgehog access holes in fencing/walls of residential housing; range of nest boxes and provision of bat boxes, dead wood piles and bog boxes. The report states that these will be detailed in the LEMP. For the avoidance of doubt, condition 17 can be amended accordingly.

Members will note that the detailed landscape scheme required by condition no. 10 has to be designed in accordance with the Landscape Character Guidance which will be expected to incorporate appropriate native and ecologically beneficial species. An additional informative is suggested to detail these.

For clarification, the head of terms for the contribution to primary schools would need to be based on the geographical proximity to the application site subject to such projects being in accordance with CIL Regulations.

The local lettings plan in relation to affordable housing would prioritise Boughton Monchelsea and then cascade out to Loose/Linton/Chart Sutton/Marden.

An additional Head to the legal agreement has been secured in regard to £25,000 to be transferred to Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council via the Borough Council to be used towards making medical facilities more accessible for future residents. This is necessary and related to the development as the recent resolution by this Planning Committee for a new GP surgery building at Heath Road Linton would mean that it is highly unlikely that local GP facilities in the village of Boughton Monchelsea would be feasible.

Amend recommendation

Additional Head of Term for the legal agreement:

·         £25,000.00 to be transferred to Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council via the Borough Council to be used towards making medical facilities more accessible for future residents

Amend condition 17.

17) A landscape and ecological management plan, including long term design objectives, management responsibilities and maintenance schedules for all landscaped and open areas other than privately owned domestic gardens, shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the local planning authority prior to first occupation of any dwelling on the site. Landscape and ecological management shall be carried out in accordance with the approved plan unless the local planning authority gives written consent to any variation. This shall give details of all the mitigation measures in table 7 of the Phase 2 Ecological Surveys & Assessment hereby approved and shall include details of the numbers and locations of the following: bird and bat bricks; wildlife gaps in boundary fencing; deadwood piles; wildlife friendly gullies.

Reason: In the interests of biodiversity, landscape, visual impact and amenity of the area and to ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development.

Additional informative:

10)  In regard to the landscape scheme you are advised that it is expected that it includes native species and not exotics eg Tree species should include Malus spp., Prunus padus; Crataegus spp; Prunus avium; Betula pubescens; Cornus sanguinea; the plantation should feature a few standard sessile oaks (Quercus petraea), some open space in the form of a clearing and ride network and some native shrubs around the boundary e.g. Hazel (Corylus avellana), holly (Ilex aquifolium), goat willow (Salix caprea), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), purging buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and spindle (Euonymous europaeus).