Issue - meetings

All Members except Councillors Hemsley, Spooner, Mrs Stockell and Vizzard stated that they had been lobbied.

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

Mr Kirby, an objector, Mr El Hajj, for the applicant, and Councillors Harper, Adkinson and Daley (Visiting Members) addressed the meeting.

Contrary to the recommendation of the Head of Planning and Development, the Committee agreed to refuse permission because by virtue of the noise and disturbance likely to be caused by the use of the site for 24 hour operation, including from the comings and goings of customers, cars visiting the site, radios and doors slamming, the proposal was considered to be harmful to the residential amenity of the nearby occupiers contrary to Policy R17 of the Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and Policy DM1 of the Submitted version of the Maidstone Local Plan.

RESOLVED:  That permission be refused for the following reason:

By virtue of the noise and disturbance likely to be caused by the use of the site for 24 hour operation, including from the comings and goings of customers, cars visiting the site, radios and doors slamming, the proposal is considered to be harmful to the residential amenity of the nearby occupiers contrary to Policy R17 of the Maidstone Borough-Wide Local Plan 2000 and Policy DM1 of the Submitted version of the Maidstone Local Plan.

Voting:  13 – For  0 – Against  0 – Abstentions

FURTHER RESOLVED:  That the Environmental Protection Team be requested to consider installing nitrogen dioxide monitoring equipment in proximity to the McDonald’s drive-through at The Broadway, Maidstone to gain an understanding of air pollution issues in that area.

Voting:  13 – For  0 – Against  0 – Abstentions