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.

Mrs McDermid presented a petition objecting to the application.

Councillor Hughes of Coxheath Parish Council, Mr Hawkins, for the applicant, and Councillors Webb and J. A. Wilson (Visiting Members) 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 40% affordable housing equating to 44 dwellings within the application site of which 3 dwellings are to be Wheelchair Accessible Homes;

·  A contribution for primary education of £2,360.96 per applicable house (x100) and £590.24 per applicable flat (x2) = £237,276.48 to be used towards the Coxheath Primary School enhancement;

·  A contribution for secondary education of £2,359.80 per applicable house (x100) and £589.95 per applicable flat (x2) = £237,159.90 towards the expansion of Cornwallis School;

·  A contribution of £5,281.74 to be used to address the demand from the development for book stock (supplied to Coxheath Library);

·  A contribution of £3,376.63 for community learning to be used to supply new IT equipment to St Faiths Adult Education Centre in Maidstone;

·  A contribution of £933.38 to be used to address the demand from the development for youth equipment (supplied to Youth Workers and organisations covering Coxheath);

·  A contribution of £6,991.60 for social care (to be directed towards central Maidstone Changing Places Facility);

·  A contribution of £68,724 to enhance healthcare facilities at Stockett Lane Practice and Orchard Surgery Coxheath;

·  A contribution of £890.22 per dwelling (£890.22 x 110 dwellings = £97,924.20) to be directed towards Stockett Lane Recreation Ground;

·  A contribution towards highway works at the junction of the A229 and B2163 (Linton Crossroads) to mitigate the impact of the development (the amount to be finalised by the Head of Planning and Development acting under delegated powers); and

·  Details of a long term management and maintenance plan for on-site open space, including responsibility for management and management contribution including the duration of the contribution,

the Head of Planning and Development be given delegated powers to grant permission subject to the conditions and informatives set out in the report, as amended by the urgent update report, with the amendment of conditions 3, 7 and 15 and an additional condition as follows:

Condition 3 (amended)

No development shall take place until a schedule/samples of the materials and finishes (to include slate roof tiles and weatherboarding) to be used in the construction of the external walls, roofs, windows and doors of the buildings hereby permitted have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

Reason:  To ensure a satisfactory appearance to the development.

Condition 7 (amended)

The development shall not commence until there has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority a scheme of soft and hard landscaping (comprising ragstone), (the landscaping scheme and SUDS scheme should be integrated to deliver green infrastructure by creating green open space which can encourage biodiversity and habitats), using indigenous species, which shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land, and details of any to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development.  The landscape scheme shall be designed using the principles established in the Council's adopted Landscape Character Assessment and Landscape Guidelines and should include consideration of how the boundary hedgerows can be managed and retained in the long term.

Reason:  In the interest of ecology enhancement and visual amenity of the area.

Condition 15 (amended)

No development shall take place until details of all fencing, walling and other boundary treatments, which shall include, inter alia, gaps to allow passage of wildlife (to include gaps to provide movement for hedgehogs), have been submitted to the Local Planning Authority and approved in writing.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details before the first occupation of the development hereby permitted and maintained thereafter.

Reason:  To ensure a satisfactory appearance of the development, provide biodiversity mitigation and protect the amenities of the future occupiers of the dwellings.

Additional Condition

No development shall take place until details in the form of large scale drawings (at a scale of 1:20 or 1:50) of the following matters have been submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority:

·  Details of the roof overhangs and eaves;

·  Details of windows and doors and recesses/reveals (which shall be a minimum of 70mm); and

·  Details of the junction of the timber boarding and the brickwork.

The development shall thereafter be undertaken in accordance with the subsequently approved details.

Reason:  To ensure a satisfactory external appearance to the development in the interests of the visual amenity and character of the surrounding area.

Voting:  7 – For  5 – Against  1 – Abstention

FURTHER RESOLVED:  That an Implementation Group comprising of the developer, Borough Council Officers, representatives of the Parish Council, Ward Members and Councillor Harwood be set up to oversee the implementation of the development and to discuss the offer of the woodland area by the Applicant and whether and how this can be achieved.

Voting:  13 – For  0 – Against  0 – Abstentions