Agenda item

All Members stated that they had been lobbied.

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

County Councillor Bird, an objector, Mr Hull/Ms Baker, for the applicant, and Councillor Daley (Visiting Member) addressed the meeting.

RESOLVED:  That subject to the prior completion of a S106 legal agreement in such terms as the Head of Legal Partnership may advise to secure the following:

• The provision of 30% affordable housing;

• A contribution of £1,350 per dwelling for the A20 Coldharbour Lane junction improvement;

• A contribution of £86 per dwelling for the improvement of Junction 5 of the M20;

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £4,000 per applicable house and £1,000 per applicable flat towards build costs and £2,701.63 per applicable house and £675.41 per applicable flat towards land costs in connection with the construction of a new primary school;

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £2,359.80 per applicable house and £589.95 per applicable flat towards the extension of a secondary school within Maidstone;

• A contribution for Maidstone Borough Council of £402.96 per dwelling towards the provision of public open space within a one mile radius of the development for the improvement, refurbishment and maintenance of existing areas of open space and equipped play, outdoor sports facilities and allotments;

Adisham Drive and Midley Close are within 1km of the site and would be used by the development as they are the nearest sites with areas of equipped play, whilst the likes of Allington Open Space and Giddyhorn Lane are areas that would benefit in terms of outdoor sports facilities.

• A contribution for the NHS of £111,996 towards improvements at the named surgeries of Allington Clinic, Allington Park Surgery, Aylesford Medical Practice, College Practice, Lockmeadow Surgery and Blackthorn Practice all of which are within 1.5 miles of the site;

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £30.70 per dwelling towards community learning for adult learning classes or outreach adult learning in Maidstone;

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £8.44 per dwelling towards youth services and the provision of staff and equipment for Maidstone Borough youth outreach services in the area;

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £79.71 per dwelling to provide expansion of library services in Maidstone and additional book stock and equipment; and

• A contribution for Kent County Council of £53.88 per dwelling towards adult social services being the provision of health linked care needs and assessment suite, the enhancement of local community facilities to ensure full DDA access to clients, a specialist changing place facility to enable clients with multiple needs to integrate and use everyday facilities and to provide assistive technology (Telecare) to enable clients to live as independently and secure as possible,

the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to grant permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report and the additional conditions and informative set out in the urgent update report, with the amendment of condition 15 and additional conditions as follows:

Condition 15 (amended)

The dwellings shall achieve a minimum of Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.  No dwelling shall be occupied until a final Code Certificate has been issued for it certifying that (at least) Code Level 4 has been achieved.

Reason:  To ensure a sustainable and energy efficient form of development.

Additional Condition (to replace the terms originally proposed under the S106 legal agreement requiring the submission of a landscape and ecological management plan)

No development shall take place until a landscape and ecological management plan (LEMP) has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The content of the LEMP shall include the following:

a)  Description and evaluation of features to be managed;

b)  Ecological trends and constraints on site that might influence management;

c)  Aims and objectives of management;

d)  Appropriate management options for achieving aims and objectives.

e)  Prescriptions for management actions;

f)  Preparation of a work schedule (including an annual work plan capable of being rolled forward over a five-year period);

g)  Details of the body or organisation responsible for implementation of the plan; and

h)  Ongoing monitoring and remedial measures.

The LEMP shall also include details of the legal and funding mechanism(s) by which the long-term implementation of the plan will be secured by the developer with the management body(ies) responsible for its delivery.  The plan shall also set out (where the results from monitoring show that conservation aims and objectives of the LEMP are not being met) how contingencies and/or remedial action will be identified, agreed and implemented so that the development still delivers the fully functioning biodiversity objectives of the originally approved scheme.  The approved plan will be implemented in accordance with the approved details.

Reason:  In the interests of biodiversity and ecology.

Additional Condition relating to the establishment of a Monitoring Committee comprising the local Ward Members and Councillor Harwood to monitor the discharge of conditions.

Voting:  5 – For  2 – Against  4 – Abstentions

FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the developer and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council be approached regarding the designation of the land edged blue on the site layout plan as a local nature reserve.

Voting:  11 – For  0 – Against  0 - Abstentions

Note:  Councillor J. A. Wilson entered the meeting during consideration of this application (6.30 p.m.) and did not participate in the discussion or the voting.