Agenda and minutes

(a)  Committee: 26 September 2018

(b)  Member Panel: 26 September 2018

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Committee meeting of 26 September 2018 and the Regulation Committee Member Panel meeting of 26 September 2018 are correctly recorded and that they be signed by the Chairman.

(1)       The Committee considered a report which gave an overview of Home to School Transport appeal statistics for the period between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2018 with a brief comparison with the statistics for the years 2010 to 2017.

(2)       RESOLVED that the report be noted for assurance.

(1)          The Head of Planning Applications Group gave an update on planning enforcement and monitoring work carried out since the Committee meeting on 26 September 2018.   She drew attention to a new initiative by KCC Planning Enforcement to involve all interested public regulators on suspected contravening sites at the same time.  This offered a more focussed and potentially more cost-effective range of actions. 

(2)       RESOLVED that the actions taken or contemplated in the report be endorsed.

EXEMPT ITEMS

(Open Access to Minutes)

(Members resolved under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 that the public be excluded for the following business on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 5 and 6 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.)

(1)       The Team Leader – Planning Enforcement gave an update on unauthorised planning enforcement matters setting out actions taken or contemplated at Ashford Waste Water Treatment Works, Bybrook, Ashford;  Casa Amica and Ripley’s Auto Spares Ltd, Bilsington, Ashford; Personnel Hygiene Services Ltd, Kingsnorth Industrial Estate, Ashford; Mount Pleasant Farm, Yorkletts, Whitstable; Mount Pleasant House, Yorkletts, Whitstable; Mount Joy, Yorkletts, Whitstable; May Street Cottages, Herne Bay;  Wickhambreaux CEP School; Spires Academy, Sturry, Canterbury; Wentworth Primary School, Dartford; Maypole Community Primary School, Dartford; Land adjoining Long Hill Playing Field, Dover; Fleetmix Ltd, Northfleet; Former petrol Station/Car Wash, Gravesend; Land at Stockbury Valley, Stockbury; water Lane/Moat Road, Headcorn, Maidstone; Little Neverend Farm, Ulcombe; Environment First Ltd, Chart Sutton, Maidstone; Thirwell Farm, Hernhill; Land at Sites A and C, Oare Creek, Faversham;  Three Lakes Caravan Park, Murston; Wrotham Quarry, Addington, West Malling; Hermitage Quarry, Hermitage Lane, Maidstone; and Kings Hill Primary School, Kings Hill, West Malling.

(2)       The Team Leader – Planning Enforcement reported the views of the Local Member, Mr P Bartlett in respect of the Ashford Waste Water Treatment Works site. 

(3)       During discussion of this item, the Committee agreed that paragraph 15 of the report would be made open to the public.  This paragraph reads:

“It is evident that traditional planning enforcement powers (especially at the County Council level) tend to be restrictive, slow and labour intensive, or rely heavily on the outcome of formal public inquiries with a typical timescale in excess of 12 months.  It is evident that these powers are unable to meet in full the sophisticated challenge of apparent and fast-moving organised crime.  Land ownership held in trust, “revolving-door” companies / directors, money laundering and the physical barricading of sites, with associated intimidation, are becoming a common pattern of behaviour and operation. In my view, financial investigation on the public sector is required, along with actions against alleged landfill tax evasion (together with HMRC) company malpractice and other financial avenues. In essence, “fighting fire with fire.”

(4)       The Committee amended the Stockbury Valley site recommendation in order to retain it on the Schedule of Contraventions on unauthorised or permitted sites.

(5)       RESOLVED that subject to (4) above, the enforcement strategies outlined in paragraphs 4 to 16 and in the Appendix of the report be noted and endorsed.