Agenda and minutes

(1)          The Committee was reminded that a site visit in respect of the proposed replacement Tunstall CE Primary School would take place following the meeting.

(2)       The Committee noted that it would hold a local meeting at Tunstall Village Hall on Wednesday, 9 April 2014 and that there would be a site visit to Glebe Farm in Shadoxhurst on Wednesday, 14 May 2014.

(1)          Mr M Heale and Mr T L Shonk informed the Committee that they had been lobbied as Local Members in respect of the application.  They had not, however, in any way predetermined the application, nor given anyone else cause to believe that they had. They were therefore both able to approach this matter with a fresh mind. 

(2)       Mr T A Maddison moved, seconded by Mrs P A V Stockell that the recommendations of the Head of Planning Applications Group be agreed.

(3)       Mr J N Wedgbury moved, seconded by Mr M Baldock as an Amendment that consideration of this application be deferred to enable the applicants to improve the design of the proposed building.

                                                            Amendment Lost by 3 votes to 14.

(4)       On being put to the vote, the substantive motion was carried by 14 votes to 2 with 1 abstention.

(5)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       permission be granted to the Proposal subject to conditions,  including conditions covering the standard time limit; the development being carried out in accordance with the permitted details; a programme of archaeological work; no tree removal taking place during the bird breeding season; hours of working during construction and demolition being restricted to between 0800 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0900 and 1300 on Saturdays, with no operations on Sundays and Bank Holidays; details of construction vehicle loading/unloading and turning facilities being agreed prior to commencement of the development; details of parking areas for construction vehicles being agreed prior to commencement of the development; details of the measures to be taken to prevent the deposit of mud and debris on the public highway being approved prior to commencement of the development; the provision and permanent retention of the vehicle parking spaces shown within the application prior to occupation of the building; the provision and permanent retention of the cycle parking facilities shown within the application prior to occupation of the building; details of measures to prevent the discharge of surface water onto the highway; completion of the access shown on the submitted plans, including the necessary vehicle crossing in the footway, prior to occupation of the building; and details of the materials to be used in the construction of the development; and

(b)        the applicant be advised by informative of:

(i)        the recommendation that the weatherboarding present at the back of the former library building should be dismantled by hand prior to the full demolition of the building due to the (limited) potential for roosting bats;

(ii)       the advice offered by the Environment Agency concerning  drainage, pollution prevention measures, water conservation and construction and demolition waste disposal; and

(iii)      the letter from Public Rights of Way which contains general informatives with regard to works adjacent to and/or on a Public Right of Way. It is also advised that “the granting of planning permission confers on the developer no other permission or consent or right to close or divert any Public Right of Way at any time  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

RESOLVED that permission be granted to the proposal subject to conditions, including conditions covering the standard time limit for commencing the proposed development; the development being carried out in accordance with the permitted details; the submission of details of all construction materials to be used externally; the submission of a scheme of landscaping, including details of species, source, location of saplings to be planted, mitigation and visual impact information, and hard surfacing, its implementation and maintenance; the submission of a Tree Protection Plan and an Arboricultural Method Statement; the planting replacement trees for the ones lost as a result of the development; a programme of additional vegetation planting along Cranleigh Drive where there is a gap in the screening and to the rear of properties in Alison Crescent; the submission of measures to protect those trees that are to be retained; the submission of a survey of roosting bats together with mitigation measures for potentially roosting, foraging and commuting bats; external lighting being designed to have minimal impact on any bats; the implementation of mitigation measures for breeding birds as detailed in the Mitigation, Enhancement and Ecology Management Strategy; no tree removal taking place during the bird breeding season; the implementation of a programme of archaeological works; parking and turning provision being provided as shown in the submitted drawings; hours of working during construction being restricted to between the hours of 0800 and 1800 Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0900 and 1300 on Saturdays, with no operations on Sundays and Bank Holidays; measures being taken to prevent mud and debris being taken onto the public highway; the submission of a Construction Management Plan, including access, parking and circulation within the site for contractors and other vehicles related to construction operations; the bell mouth outside property no. 127 Cranleigh Drive being removed and replaced with a vehicle crossover; and the end parking spaces being widened to 2.7 metres in width.

(1)       Mr J A Davies informed the Committee that he was the Local Member and had been a governor at the school until 2013.  He had, in this capacity discussed the proposed expansion on educational rather than land use planning grounds.  He did not have a Significant Other Interest, nor had he pre-determined the planning merits of the proposal.  He was therefore able to approach the determination of the application with a fresh mind.  He had, nevertheless, decided that it would be most appropriate if he did not chair the meeting for this particular item.

(2)       Mr J A Davies moved, seconded by Mr T A Maddison that Mr M A C Balfour chair the meeting for this item.

                                                Carried unanimously

(3)       Mr Balfour thereupon took the Chair for the remainder of this item.

(4)       The Head of Planning Applications Group revised her recommendation in order to clarify that the Village Hall car park should be resurfaced prior to the occupation of the new stand-alone accommodation on the school site. This was agreed.

(5)       In agreeing the recommendations of the Head of Planning Applications Group, the Committee strengthened the fourth condition by requiring details of the drainage of the Village Hall Car Park to be submitted, together with the surface and colour details.

(6)       RESOLVED that permission be granted to the proposal subject to conditions, including conditions covering the standard time limit; the development being carried out in accordance with the permitted details; external materials matching those specified within the application documentation; details of the surfacing, drainage and colour finish to the Village Hall car park; the Village Hall car park being resurfaced prior to the occupation of the new stand-alone accommodation on the school site; tree protection measures and the development being undertaken in accordance with the recommendations of the Tree Surveys; the development being undertaken in accordance with the recommendations of the Ecological Scoping Survey; the submission of a detailed mitigation strategy for Great Crested Newts prior to the commencement of the development; the submission of details of ecological enhancements; the submission of a revised School Travel Plan within 6 months of the date of this permission, its implementation and ongoing review. This document being prepared in liaison with Speldhurst Parish Council, including mechanisms for ongoing liaison in the future; hours of working during construction and demolition being restricted to between 0800 and 1800 on Mondays to Fridays and between the hours of 0900 and 1300 on Saturdays, with no operations on Sundays and Bank Holidays; the submission of a Construction Management Strategy, including the location of site compounds and operative/visitor parking, details of site security and safety measures, lorry waiting and wheel washing facilities, together with details of any construction accesses and management of the site access to avoid peak school times; and measures to prevent mud and debris being taken onto the public highway.

RESOLVED to note matters dealt with under delegated powers since the last meeting relating to:-

(a)          County matter applications (None);

(b)          County Council developments;

(c)          Screening opinions under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011; and

(d)          Scoping opinions under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (None).