Issue - meetings

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Meeting: 29/04/2019 - Planning Committee (Item 355)

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Minutes:

Councillor Brice said that since she had pre-determined application 19/500399/FULL (Meadow View, Marden Road, Staplehurst, Tonbridge, Kent) she would address the Committee in her capacity as a Ward Member and then leave the meeting when it was discussed.

 


Meeting: 25/04/2019 - Planning Committee (Item 333)

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Minutes:

Councillor Harwood said that, with regard to the reports of the Head of Planning and Development relating to applications 18/506656/FULL (Popesfield, Bearsted Road, Weavering, Kent) and 18/506609/OUT (Newnham Park, Bearsted Road, Weavering, Kent), he was a Member of Boxley Parish Council.  However, he had not participated in the Parish Council’s discussions on the applications and from that perspective he intended to speak and vote when they were considered.  Further, it had been noted by the Council’s Legal Team that he had submitted multiple detailed critiques regarding these applications.  He did this on almost every large planning application and it gave no inference of a closed mind or pre-determination so he intended to speak and vote.

 

With regard to the report of the Head of Planning and Development relating to application 18/506494/FULL (Stilebridge Paddock, Stilebridge Lane, Linton, Maidstone, Kent), Councillor Munford said that he was the Chairman of Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council.  However, he had not participated in the Parish Council’s discussions on the application, and intended to speak and vote when it was considered.

 

Councillor Spooner said that on 12 March he had attended a meeting along with Borough Councillors Bob and Wendy Hinder to discuss application 18/506656/FULL (Popesfield, Bearsted Road, Weavering, Kent) with Kent County Council (KCC) Members and Officers, including the KCC Cabinet Member for Education.  He had made it quite clear at the start of the meeting that as a member of the Borough Council’s Planning Committee he had a duty of impartiality and would not comment on the application.  However, he did convey the known comments of his fellow Bearsted Ward Members who were unable to attend the meeting.  He was disappointed, therefore, to see a report from Boxley Parish Council on its website and subsequently on other social media saying that he had agreed with the objections raised by the other Borough Councillors.  That was not correct, and he could assure the Committee that he was attending the meeting with an open mind and had not pre-determined.