Agenda and minutes

Announcement on procedural matters.

The Chairman opened the meeting, introduced Committee members and officers in attendance, and outlined procedural matters of the meeting.

Apologies for absence as reported at the meeting.

Apologies were received from Councillor Mrs Thomas.

To receive any declarations of interest by Members in items on the agenda.

Councillor Funnell made the following statement in reference to planning application 21/00068/FULL – Recreation Ground, Southwood Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells:

“With reference to agenda 8D 21/00068/FULL Recreation Ground Southwood Road Rusthall Tunbridge Wells Kent,  this application relates to land in my Ward and my wife has registered to speak on the application. 

 I have lived in Rusthall all my life and so know the land in question well as I have helped with the local Rusthall Fete which is held in the Recreation Ground and played there as a child. 

 I can confirm that I have not made up my mind on this application or fettered myself with this application. I will be considering the application with an open mind in the same way as I do all other applications that come before me at the Planning Committee Meetings”.

If a Member has been lobbied in connection with any application on the agenda, this should be declared at the start of the meeting, whether by, or in support of, the applicant or objectors.

Members in doubt about such a declaration are advised to contact the Legal Services Manager/Monitoring Officer before the date of the meeting.

Councillors  Atwood, Backhouse, Cobbold, Funnell, Hall, Hamilton, Poile, Pound, Warne, Bland and Noakes had been lobbied by objectors on application 21/00068/FULL – Recreation Ground, Southwood Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Councillors Atwood, Funnell, Hamilton, Poile, Pound, Warne, Bland and Noakes had been lobbied by supporters on application 19/03349/FULL – Land at Mascalls Farm, Badsell Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent.

Councillor Pound had been lobbied by objectors on application 19/03349/FULL – Land at Mascalls Farm, Badsell Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent.

To note the application sites visited, as recorded at the meeting.

Due to the current restrictions Members had not undertaken any site visits.

Members reviewed the minutes.  No amendments were proposed.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting dated 27 January 2021 be recorded as a correct record.

Members reviewed the minutes. No amendments were proposed.

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting dated 3 February 2021 be recorded as a correct record.

The running order of the applications listed below is subject to change and will be agreed by the Chairman and announced at the meeting.

Planning Report and Presentation - The Head of Planning Services submitted a report in respect of application 21/00068/FULL – Recreation Ground, Southwood Road, Rusthall, Tunbridge Wells, Kent and this was summarised by Richard Hazelgrove, Principal Planning Officer and illustrated by means of a visual presentation.

Updates and additional representation – Since publication of the agenda report, the presenter updated as follows:

-       Two further objections had been received.  The first raising similar issues to those already noted in Part 6 of the report.  The second made reference to the TWBC Air Quality Action Plan 2018-2023.  However the site was not within an area specifically identified by TWBC as requiring intervention pursuant to the Environment Act 1995 owing to current air quality issues (unlike the A26 which was a designated air quality management area).

-       This was not a matter which the existing allocation in the 2016 Site Allocation Local Plan policy required to be addressed.  Nor was it required to be addressed by the extant planning permission.  The AQAP does not advise that any planning application that resulted in an increase in traffic should be refused on the basis of additional air quality impacts, as most developments result in a traffic increase.

-       In addition, the conditions require details of cycle storage and EV charging points plus the site was very close to a regular bus route running between Rusthall, the town centre and High Brooms.

Registered Speakers – There were 4 speakers registered in accordance with the Council’s Constitution (Planning Committee Procedure Rules).

Public Objector

-       Mrs Angela Funnell, a local resident

-       Mr David Rusbridge, a local resident

-       Ms Felicity Howe, a local resident

-       Mr Dean Jacquin, a local resident

Matters of Clarification by Officers and Committee Members’ Question to Officers – Members raised a number of questions and officers confirmed the following:

-       Although the Transport Report stated that the site was not in a highly sustainable location, the report further added that the site was bounded to the south and east by residential areas and that there were a  large number of residential areas within 2km and was therefore accessible to many by cycle and on foot.  The report also detailed the provision of secure and covered cycle facilities, the presence of cycle routes and a regular bus service. 

-       It was important to note that there was no policy requirement for the development to be in a highly sustainable location.  It was still sustainable by virtue of being on the edge of the LBD which by definition was the most sustainable location within the Borough.

-       Paragraphs 10.46 and 10.47 dealt with the management of traffic and in particular at change over times.  This would be secured by Condition 9.

-       The traffic survey undertaken by Kent CC was conducted at various locations around Rusthall and was done to determine whether the area was suitable for a 20mph speed limit.   It was not connected to this particular development.  Kent CC had not raised  ...  view the full minutes text for item PLA133/20

Planning Report and Presentation – The Head of Planning Services submitted a report in respect of application 19/03349/FULL, Land at Mascalls Farm, Badsell Road, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent and this was summarised at the meeting by Antonia James, Principal Planning Officer and illustrated by means of a visual presentation.

Updates and additional representation – None.

Registered Speakers – There were two speakers that registered in accordance with the Council’s Constitution (Planning Committee Procedure Rules)

Public Objectors:

-       Mr Barry Weston, a local resident.

Public Supporters:

-       Mr Alex Davies, Agent (Berkeley Group)

Matters of Clarification by Officers and Committee Members’ Questions to Officers – Members raised a number of questions and officers confirmed the following:

-       Officers had been in regular contact with Paddock Wood Town Council (PWTC) throughout the course of the application regarding S106 contributions.  PWTC confirmed a few weeks prior to the committee meeting that they were happy with the contributions offered and no further contributions were sought.

-       There may not be a requirement to pay the build costs for the new Primary School c £500k if this was funded by Central Government.  Berkeley had offered to cover all requested  contributions, so this funding could not be reallocated elsewhere.

-       The applicant had continuously stated in all documents submitted that there would be provision for affordable rented houses, not social rented housing.  However, there was nothing to stop the registered provider providing those as social rented houses for future residents.

-       TWBC housing department had been working with Town and Country Housing on other schemes to provide social rent where affordable rent had already been covered within the S106 agreement.  Any S106 agreement would not prohibit the provision of social rent on this site.

-       The major highways works would be undertaken as the trigger had been met e.g. commencement of development at Mascalls Farm, Mascalls Court Farm and Church Farm. 

-       Condition 3 stated that no more than 313 dwellings should be occupied prior to the completion of the major highways works, or before the 1 October 2023, whichever was the earlier. This gave the applicant flexibility of which part of the scheme they wished to implement first and resulted in no greater impact on the highway network until the major highway works had been completed.  This included a 6 month time buffer in case the highway works overran.

-       Paragraph 10.63 stated that Southern Water had no objections to the scheme.  Southern Water stated that no foul sewerage should be discharged into the public system until there was sufficient capacity within the foul water network to cope with the additional sewage flows. 

-       Southern Water were in the process of designing and planning delivery of this off site sewerage network and the re-enforcements required. 

-       A condition attached to this application required that the properties could only be occupied once TWBC had confirmation from Southern Water that there was sufficient capacity in the foul drainage systems to accommodate the increase in flows. 

-       The  ...  view the full minutes text for item PLA134/20

Planning Report and Presentation – The Head of Planning Services submitted a report in respect of application 20/03410/FULL The Corn Exchange, The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent and this was summarised at the meeting by Charlotte Oben Strategic Sites Senior Planning Officer and illustrated by means of a visual presentation.

Updates and additional representation – None.

Registered Speakers – There were no speakers that registered in accordance with the Council’s Constitution (Planning Committee Procedure Rules).

Matters of Clarification by Officers and Committee Members’ Questions to Officers – Members raised a number of questions and officers confirmed the following:

-       In September 2020 the use class order was changed.  D1 under the old system was education, under the new class order it was now F1A.

Committee Member Debate – N/A.

Decision/voting – On the basis that members were satisfied that all relevant planning considerations had been covered within the report, a motion was proposed by Councillor Dr Hall, seconded by Councillor Poile and a vote was taken to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation.

RESOLVED – That application 20/03410/FULL The Corn Exchange, The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells Kent be granted subject to the plans, conditions and informatives as set out in the agenda report.

Planning Report and Presentation – The Head of Planning Services submitted a report in respect of application 20/03615/LBC The Corn Exchange, The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent and this was summarised at the meeting by Charlotte Oben, Strategic Sites Senior Planning Officer and illustrated by means of a visual presentation.

Updates and additional representation – None.

Registered Speakers – There were no speakers that registered in accordance with the Council’s Constitution (Planning Committee Procedure Rules)

Matters of Clarification by Officers and Committee Members’ Questions to Officers – N/A.

Committee Member Debate – N/A.

Decision/voting – On the basis that members were satisfied that all relevant planning considerations had been covered within the report, a motion was proposed by Councillor Dr Hall, seconded by Councillor Hamilton and a vote was taken to approve the application in line with the officer recommendation.

RESOLVED – That application 20/03615 The Corn Exchange, The Pantiles, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent  be granted subject to the plans, conditions and informatives as set out in the agenda report.

RESOLVED – That the list of appeal decisions provided for information, be noted.

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 Planning Committee meeting to be held on Wednesday 24 March 2021.

The next Planning Committee meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 24 March 2021.