Agenda item

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

Mr Brooks, an objector, 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:

A.  The provision of 40% affordable housing (equating to 100 dwellings) and the designation of at least 5 no. of the affordable units to provide wheelchair accessible homes;

B:  A contribution towards highway works at the junction of the A229 (Station Road) and Marden Road to mitigate the impact of the development (the amount to be finalised by the Head of Planning and Development acting under delegated powers);

C.  A contribution towards the improvement and enhancement of vehicle and cycle parking provision at the railway station development (the amount to be finalised by the Head of Planning and Development acting under delegated powers);

D.  The following contributions based on a pro rata assessment of the exact number of dwellings proposed at the reserved matters stage:

  A contribution of £580,725.90 towards the construction of Phase 1 of the expansion of Headcorn Primary School (40.65 pupils from HDF @ £14,286 per pupil);

  A contribution of £129,453.99 towards land acquisition costs in connection with the expansion of Headcorn Primary School (40.65 pupils from HDF @ £3,184.60 per pupil);

A contribution of £487,888.65 for secondary education to be used towards the expansion of Cornwallis School (41 pupils @ £11,799 per pupil);

A contribution of £12,003.95 to be used to address the demand from the development towards additional book stock at Staplehurst Library;

A contribution of £2,110.58 to be used to address the demand from the development for youth equipment (to be supplied to youth workers and organisations covering Staplehurst);

A contribution of £842.40 per dwelling in respect of market housing only (equating to up to 150 dwellings) towards the improvement or upgrade of facilities at Staplehurst Health Centre;

  The provision of on-site open space of not less than 4.66 hectares

(open space areas should be a mixture of formal and semi-natural areas and allotment areas);

A contribution of £613.02 per dwelling towards the improvement or upgrade of facilities at Lime Trees, Surrenden Playing Field; and

E.  The appointment of a management company by the developer to be responsible for the on-going maintenance of the public open space.

  The management company shall submit to and obtain the approval in writing of the Local Planning Authority to the details required under sub-sections E.1 and E.2 below:

E.1 - Prior to the commencement of development of each phase as agreed under condition 5 of this permission, an Ecological Design Strategy (EDS) addressing ecological mitigation and enhancement of each phase in the context of the wider site shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The EDS shall include the following:

a)  Purpose and conservation objectives for the proposed works;

b)  Review of site potential and constraints, informed by further survey effort as appropriate;

c)  Detailed design(s) and/or working method(s) to achieve stated objectives (may be provided as a set of method statements).  Incorporation of bird and bat boxes and swift bricks in the fabric of houses and on trees within the landscaped areas;

  d)  Role and responsibilities on-site of an ecological clerk of works (ECoW) or similarly competent person;

e)  Extent and location/area of proposed works on appropriate scale maps and plans;

f)  Type and source of materials to be used where appropriate, e.g. native species of local provenance;

g)  Timetable for implementation demonstrating that works are aligned with the proposed phasing of development;

h)  Persons responsible for implementing the works;

i  Details of initial aftercare and long term maintenance; and

j)  Details for monitoring and remedial measures.

The EDS shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details unless varied by a European Protected Species licence subsequently issued by Natural England.  In the interests of securing the maximum benefit for biodiversity any variation of the agreed mitigation required by Natural England must not result in the reduction in the quality or quantity of mitigation/compensation provided and all features shall be retained in that manner thereafter.

E.2 - Prior to the commencement of development of each phase as agreed under condition 5 of this permission, a Landscape and Ecological Management Plan for each phase in the context of the wider site shall be 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 prescriptions for achieving aims and objectives;

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

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

  g)  On-going 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,

the Head of Planning and Development 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.

Voting:  10 – For  0 – Against  1 – Abstention