Agenda and draft minutes

Announcement on procedural matters.

The chairman opened the meeting and outlined procedural matters of the meeting.

The receive any apologies for absence.

There were no apologies received.

To receive any declarations of interest by members of the Council in items on the agenda. For any advice on declarations of interest, please contact the Monitoring Officer before the meeting.

No declarations of interest were made.

To note any members of the Council wishing to speak, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Council Meeting Procedure Rule 18, and which items they wish to speak on.

Mr Douglas Bond and Mr Stewart Gledhill registered to speak on agenda item PT16/20.

Parish Councillor Hugh Patterson registered to speak on agenda item PT16/20.

Borough Councillors Dr Hall and Mackonochie registered to speak on agenda item PT16/20.

To approve the minutes of a previous meeting as a correct record. The only issue relating to the minutes that can be discussed is their accuracy.

Members had the opportunity to review the minutes.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting dated 9 November 2020 be approved as a correct record.

Members had the opportunity to review the Forward Plan.

RESOLVED – That the Forward Plan as at 22 December 2020 be noted.

Stephen Baughen, Head of Planning presented a report which set out the previous stages in the production of the new Local Plan for Tunbridge Wells borough, and provided information on the Pre-Submission version of the Local Plan [the PSLP] which had been produced.

Mr Baughen gave a verbal update to Members on a correction which needed to be made to the Plan:

·         Policy AL/CRS 3 Turnden Farm, Hartley Road, Cranbrook which was on page 238 of the Agenda papers, stated that the site was allocated for approximately 160 – 170 dwellings.  This, was an error, as it did not take into account the existing dwellings permitted on this site.  This should read 200 – 204 dwellings. 

·         Accordingly the cumulative figures at Policy STR/CRS1 needed to be corrected, and Table 4 of the PSLP, on pages 97 and 98 of the PSLP were also updated. 

Ms Hazel Strouts, on behalf of Friends of the East End registered to speak, points raised included:

·         In their opinion there were no amenities or infrastructure that equate with sustainability.

·         The hospital comments advised that they were not prepared to provide amenities.

·         In their opinion the plan was equally mistaken in its treatment of site 158, a site closer to Benenden.

·         Friends of the East End called on this committee, to:

o   Apply Local Plan sustainability rules to the hospital sites; and

o   Restore 158 and its access point on New Pond Road.

Parish Councillor Hugh Patterson, Chairman of Capel Parish Council registered to speak, points raised included:

·         The total housing allocation proposed was disproportionate in their opinion.

·         The fact that the sites were in Green Belt.

·         Reasons why in their opinion Tudeley Garden Village was unsustainable.

·         Alternative sites were proposed and reasons provided.

Mr Douglas Bond registered to speak, points raised included:

·         In his opinion key reports remained incomplete;

o   • Transport Assessment Report Update;

o   • AONB Setting Report;

o   • Green Belt Study Stage 3 Report;

o   • Strategic Sites Master Planning and Infrastructure Study; and

o   • Viability Study Update

Mr Stewart Gledhill registered to speak, points raised included:

·         Location of affordable housing.

·         Sustainable alternatives such as Castle Hill.

·         The economic and social impact of the pandemic on decisions made.

Borough Councillor Dr Linda Hall registered to speak, points raised included:

·         East End sought two actions:

o   Site 158 reinstated in Benenden.

o   Consistency and conformity to the sustainability policies applied.

Borough Councillor Carol Mackonochie registered to speak, points raised included:

·         Provision of factual matters regarding the Local Plan proposals, including in Capel.

·         Comments received from Capel Parishioners.

In response to the speakers, Officers made some points of clarification, which included:

·         Site 158 was considered by Officers following it’s submission in the call for sites, it was discussed with the Benenden Parish Council and the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) Group, however the wider site was deemed to be sensitive in landscape terms. 

·         Access was not precluded from site 158 for the future.

·         Pages 276-282 of the report outlined the clear requirements  ...  view the full minutes text for item PT16/20

To consider any other items which the Chairman decides are urgent, for the reasons to be stated, in accordance with Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There was no urgent business for consideration.

The next meeting was scheduled for Monday 15 February 2021.

The next meeting was scheduled for Monday 15 February 2021.