Issue - meetings

22/500119/FULL Cliff House Cliff Hill Boughton Monchelsea Maidstone Kent ME17 4NQ

Meeting: 19/01/2023 - Planning Committee (Item 196)

196 22/500119/FULL - RETROSPECTIVE APPLICATION FOR THE CHANGE OF USE TO GARDEN LAND AND THE ERECTION OF 1NO. OUTBUILDING TO HOUSE HOME GYM WITH ASSOCIATED DECKING, PATIO AND HOT TUB AREA - CLIFF HOUSE, CLIFF HILL, BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA, MAIDSTONE, KENT PDF 125 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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

In introducing the application, the Development Management Team Leader advised the Committee that if Members were minded to grant permission, she wished to amend recommended condition 2 (i) (b) (Site Development Scheme – Landscaping) to require details of additional planting to reinforce any gaps.

The Democratic Services Officer read out a statement on behalf of Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council which was unable to be represented at the meeting.

Contrary to the recommendation of the Head of Development Management, the Committee agreed to refuse permission for the following summarised reasons:

1. The proposed change of use of agricultural land to residential garden would result in harm to the open countryside and the erosion of its undeveloped rural character. It would also result in the loss of best and most versatile (Grade 2) agricultural land. To permit the proposal would therefore be contrary to Policies SP17, DM1, DM30 and DM33 of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2017, the Central Government Planning Policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework 2021 and Policy PWP5 of the Boughton Monchelsea Neighbourhood Plan.

2. The proposed outbuilding would be of excessive scale, particularly in terms of its length and width such that it would compete with, rather than respect, the host dwelling and its proposed position would spread the built development across the site eroding the openness of the countryside. To permit the proposal would therefore be contrary to Policies SP17, DM1, DM30 and DM32 of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2017, the design guidance set out in the Council’s adopted Residential Extensions SPD, the Central Government Planning Policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework 2021 and Policies RH7 and PWP5 of the Boughton Monchelsea Neighbourhood Plan.

RESOLVED: That permission be refused and that the Head of Development Management be given delegated powers to finalise the reasons for refusal, to include the key issues cited above.

Voting: 11 – For 1 – Against 0 - Abstentions

Note: Councillor Cooper left the meeting during consideration of this application (7.30 p.m.).