Agenda item

(1)       Mr R J Parry informed the Committee that he had been lobbied as the Local Member by a number of constituents about the application.  He had not, however, debated the merits of the application with them and he remained in a position to approach its determination with a fresh mind.

(2)       Mr R J Parry left the meeting before this item was considered.  The Chairman had previously agreed to his request to formally move an amendment to the Head of Planning Applications Group’s recommendations.  This amendment was seconded by Mr C P Smith. The proposed amendment asked the Committee to include a condition prohibiting lorry movements during the morning and evening rush hours in order to mitigate the increased congestion on the A25. It also sought to ensure that all noisy “house keeping” activities took place in the morning rather than in the evening after the site had closed to the public. 

                                                            Motion Lost                                      

(3)       RESOLVED that the application be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and that subject to him giving no direction to the contrary permission be granted to the application subject to the prior satisfactory conclusion of a Section 106 Legal Agreement to secure the draft Heads of Terms set out in Appendix A of the report and to conditions, including conditions covering the development being commenced within 5 years; the development being carried out in accordance with the submitted plans and any approved pursuant to the conditions set out below;  the submission of details of the final colour finish to the building; the submission of details of all fencing and boundary treatment including any retaining walls; the submission for approval of a final landscape strategy and planting specification; the submission for approval of the final car park layout; the submission of details of the proposed dust and odour suppression system and associated management practices; tree protection measures during construction; the foul and surface water drainage scheme shall be implemented as proposed; the implementation of the recommendations set out with the Geo-environmental Investigation report, including recommended gas protection measures; the external lighting being implemented as proposed; the implementation of the mitigation and enhancement measures proposed with in the Ecological Evalution and Impact Assessment; details of measures to be taken during construction if contamination not previously identified is found on site; precautions to guard against the deposit of mud on the highway during the construction period;  controls on the hours of operation during the construction period; controls on the hours of operation of both the  Waste Transfer Station (WTS) and the Household Waste recycling Centre (HWRC) to those applied for (as set out in paragraph 19 of the report); the entrance to the site being secured outside operational hours; all external lighting being extinguished outside the hours of operation (with the exception of low level security lighting or during any repair or maintenance); controls on the total combined waste throughput (to a maximum of 120,000tpa); only those wastes specified within the planning application (namely municipal wastes, household waste and commercial / industrial waste) being received, deposited, stored or managed on site; all waste associated with the WTS being loaded, unloaded, sorted and stored within the building; the external doors and shutters within the building being closed outside the opening hours; no waste being stored outside except within the HWRC; all biodegradable/ putrescible waste being removed within 48 hours of arrival on site; controls on the overall number of HGV movements to those applied for (256 HGV movements per day -128 in / 128 out); the waste catchment for the WTS being restricted to Sevenoaks District, unless otherwise agreed by the County Council; records of all HGV movements and details of quantities and sources of all waste handled at the site being maintained for a period of 3 years and made available on request; all loaded, open backed HGVs leaving the site being sheeted or netted; only those vehicles and storage containers ancillary to the development being stored within the site; all vehicles, plant and machinery operated on site being maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specification at all times, with effective silencers being fitted and used; the hard surfacing on site being maintained in a good state of repair, kept clean and free of mud and other debris; no plant, equipment or associated materials (including waste containers and skips) being stored outside the developed area of the WTS / HWRC; unauthorised material deposited on site being removed to an authorised waste disposal facility within 48 hours; restriction of permitted development rights; the terms of the planning permission being made known to any person(s) given responsibility for the management of the site; all uses and operations associated with Permissions SE/91/1958, SE/94/113, SE/03/902 and SE/03/1180 (i.e. the Green Waste Composting Facility) shall permanently cease upon implementation of this permission and shall not recommence thereafter;  all uses and operations associated with Permissions SE/90/1302 and SE/12/2342 (i.e. the existing waste transfer station and household waste recycling centre) shall permanently cease within 14 days of the first importation of waste to the new WTS and shall not recommence thereafter; all existing built development, structures, plant, equipment and waste within the red line area being removed from site; all land outside the final area of the WTS and HWRC (but within the red line area of the development hereby permitted) not being used except as may be permitted by a subsequent valid planning permission; and within 12 months of the first importation of waste to the new facilities (except as may be permitted by a subsequent valid planning permission)  the applicant submitting a scheme for the demolition and remediation of the existing waste transfer building and other land outside the final developed area of the WTS and HWRC (and thereafter this scheme being implemented as approved).