Agenda item

(1)       Mr R E Brookbank informed the Committee that he had a personal interest as he was a Member of the Sevenoaks DC Development Control Committee which had discussed the application. He had, however, not participated in this discussion and was approaching the application with a fresh mind. He was also a Member of the Sevenoaks AQMA Working Group but had not discussed the application in this Forum.

(2)       Mr K Smith informed the Committee that he had a personal interest as he knew Members of the Kent Downs AONB, who had written to object to the application.   He had not, however, participated in any discussion of the application with them.

(3)       Mr R J Parry informed the Committee that he had a personal interest as he was a Member of Sevenoaks TC which had discussed the application. He had, however, not participated or voted in the STC discussions and was approaching the application with a fresh mind.   Mr Parry also asked the Clerk to note that he had received a letter from the Kent Downs AONB, who had written to object to the application and also stated that he did not know the letter’s signatory; additionally Mr Parry stated that he had not participated in any discussion of the application with Kent Downs AONB.  Mr Parry also identified that he was acquainted with some the listed objectors and then identified the relevant names. 

(4)       Mr R F Manning made a declaration of personal interest as he had in the past been distantly related by marriage in law to the Chairman of the Kent Downs AONB, who had written to him in objection.   He had become acquainted with him without forming any close association.

(5)       Mr J F London informed the Committee that he had a personal interest as he was a Member of Sevenoaks TC which had discussed the application. He had, however, not participated in this discussion and was approaching the application with a fresh mind.  He was also a Member of the Sevenoaks AQMA Working Group but had not discussed the application in this Forum.  He also knew Members of the Kent Downs AONB, who had written to object to the application.   He had not, however, participated in any discussion of the application with them.  He also identified some of the objectors as people he was acquainted with. 

(6)       Nr N J D Chard was present for this item pursuant to Committee Procedure Rule 2.24 and spoke. He explained that he was a Member of the Sevenoaks AQMA Working Group but was addressing the Committee in his capacity as the Local Member.

(7)       A letter from the Chairman of the Kent Downs AONB objecting to the application had previously been circulated to members of the Committee. It was also tabled at the meeting.

(8)       Two further items were tabled at the meeting. These were e.mail correspondence dated 14 January 2010 and 20 January 2010 between Mr Tony Van Gool, a local objector and Mr J Wooldridge, the Principal Planning Officer.

(9)       The Chairman adjourned the meeting for a short while to enable its Members to read all the additional correspondence that had been tabled.

(10)     The Democratic Services Officer informed the Committee of a petition containing 427 signatures from Seal Parish Council.  He read out the full text of the petition.

(11)     The Principal Planning Officer stated that he had fully considered all the additional correspondence prior to the meeting but that having done so he did not wish to amend his recommendation in any way.

(12)     Three speakers addressed the Committee in opposition to the application. They were Mrs Mary Osborne, a local resident; Mr Robin Watson from Seal PC and Mr John Brigden, a local District Councillor and Member of Sevenoaks TC. Mr Simon Treacy from Tarmac Ltd spoke in reply.

(13)     In discussion of this item, the Committee agreed that the applicant should be required to set up a Liaison Group and establish a formal Complaints Procedure. It also added an Informative requesting the applicant to aim to ensure that stationary HGVs did not keep their engines running whilst waiting for the site to open.

(14)     The Committee also agreed that the Chairman should write to Kent Highways Services requiring that the highway improvements set out in the Heads of Terms in respect of Bat and Ball Junction should be completed within three years.

(15)     On being put to the vote, the Head of Planning Applications Group’s recommendations as amended in (13) and (14) above were carried with no opposition.

(16) RESOLVED that:-

(a)           subject to the prior satisfactory conclusion of a Section 106 Agreement to secure the Heads of Terms as set out in Appendix 3 of the report, permission be granted to the application subject to conditions  including conditions covering the duration of the permission; linking all operations to the life of the permitted mineral reserves; adherence to the proposed working scheme; hours of working; maximum depth of extraction; no importation of materials for restoration purposes; output of sand extracted and sold from Sevenoaks Quarry (excluding imported materials) being restricted to 320,000tpa; no more than 50% of materials used in the bagging plant being imported from outside Sevenoaks Quarry; the continuation of existing limitations on HGV movements for the Freeland Horticulture and ready mixed concrete operations and on the nature of materials that can be imported for use in the permitted operations; records being maintained and made available to demonstrate compliance with any output, import and related restrictions; measures to prevent mud and debris on the highway; HGV sheeting and wheel cleaning; future car parking arrangements; a scheme for the layout, composition and infrastructure of permissive paths and new footpath; dust mitigation; maximum noise levels; the submission, approval and implementation of an appropriate groundwater monitoring scheme / strategy; controls to prevent pollution and flooding; measures to safeguard the water environment; archaeological and historic landscape work; the production of a Biodiversity Action (management) Plan (BAP) (including mitigation and monitoring programme and other arrangements for ecology / biodiversity interests); a scheme for the long term maintenance and management of the landscape planting proposals; soil handling and storage; aftercare; the setting up of a Liaison Committee; and the establishment of a formal complaints procedure;

(b)           the applicants be informed by Informative  of the Committee’s wish  that he should aim to ensure that stationary HGVs do not keep their engines running whilst waiting for the site to open; and

(c)            the Chairman write to Kent Highways Services on behalf of the Committee requiring that the highway improvements set out in the Heads of Terms in respect of Bat and Ball Junction should be completed within three years.