Agenda item

(1)       Mr C Simkins informed the Committee that he wished to address the Committee in his capacity as the Local Member.  Having done so, he took no further part in the decision making process for this application.

(2)       Mr J N Wedgbury informed the Committee that he was a Member of Ashford BC which had commented on the application.  He had not, however, participated in any of the Borough Council’s discussions of this application and was able to approach its determination with a fresh mind.

(3)       Correspondence from five local residents which had initially been sent to the Local Member, Mr C Simkins was tabled and read by the Committee Members prior to commencement of the consideration of this application. 

(4)       Councillor Mrs Jill Leyland (Charing PC) and Mr Terry Whitehead (a local resident) addressed the Committee in opposition to the application. Mrs Jenny Owen from Jennifer Owen Associates Ltd spoke in reply on behalf of the applicants.

(5)       Mr J N Wedgbury moved, seconded by Mr T A Maddison that the recommendations of the Head of Planning Applications Group be agreed.

(6)       Pursuant to Committee Procedure 2.26 (4), one third of the voting Members present required that the way all Members cast their vote should be recorded in the Minutes.

(7)       The Chairman put the motion in (4) above to the vote when the voting was as follows:

For (8)           

Mr D L Brazier, Mrs P Brivio, Mr J A Davies, Mr T Gates, Mr T A Maddison, Mr S C Manion, Mr C P Smith, Mr J N Wedgbury.

Against (6)

Mr M J Angell, Mr M Baldock, Mr B Neaves, Mrs E D Rowbotham,  Mr T L Shonk, Mr M E Whybrow.

(8)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)  permission be granted to the application for the extractionof sandfromBurleighFarm with conveyortoa plantsiteinCharingQuarry,use of the existingweighbridge and access onHookLane, togetherwithrestoration to nature conservation at the lowerverticallevelwithfurtherpublicaccess atCharingQuarry /BurleighFarm, HookLane, Charing,Kentsubject to the prior satisfactoryconclusionof alegalagreementtosecuretheHeadsof Termsas set out in  Appendix 2 of the report and to conditions, including conditions covering the extractionand restorationof theBurleighFarmextensionand the restorationof thosepartsof CharingQuarryand landbetween the twoaffectedby thedevelopmentwithin 15 years ofthe date of commercial mineral extraction;  notificationof the dateof commercial sandextraction;  the completion   of   all   restoration not   affected   by  the   proposed developmentinCharingQuarry(Eastand West)by theend of 2017; the submission,  approval  and  implementationof  detailedlandscape planting,restorationand aftercareschemes; proposalsforpost-restorationaccess arrangementson HookLane to reflecttheintendedafteruse; noiseand vibrationlimitsand associated monitoring; NoiseManagementPlan(s)forthedevelopmentand operational phases(includingthe provision ofcontinual updatesand measures to minimise the impactof HGV reversingalarms); Dust  Management  Plan(s)  for  the  development  and  operational phases (includingtheprovisionof continual updates); non-tonalreversingalarmsforallplantand machineryemployed onsite; nomorethan110 HGVmovements(55in/ 55out)associatedwith the transportationof sandeach day; hoursof operationbeingrestrictedtobetween07:00and 18:00 hours on Mondays toFridaysand between 07:00and 13:00 hourson Saturdays withno operations(otherthanemergency maintenanceand monitoring)on Saturdaysafter13:00hoursor on Sundays and on Bank/ PublicHolidays(withworksassociatedwiththe construction oftheconveyortunnel beingrestricted to the samehours); allsand extractedat BurleighFarmbeingtransportedby conveyor to CharingQuarry; the  provision  of  construction  vehicle  loading/ unloading  and turningfacilities,parkingfacilities forsitepersonneland visitors and wheelwashingfacilitiespriortocommencementof workon site and for the durationof theoperationof thequarry; theprovisionof thevehicleparkingspaces andturningspace for the residentsof TileLodgeCottagespriortothe quarry being broughtinto use and the permanentretention ofthe carpark thereafter; theuse ofa boundsurfaceforthefirst6 metresof theaccess fromtheedgeof thehighwayfortheparkingarea to TileLodge Cottages; the submission,approvaland implementationof detailedproposalsfor the designof theconveyortunnel andassociatedworks; a3m stand-offbeingmaintainedbetweenthebase ofthequarry and the maximumheightof groundwater; monthlygroundwaterleveland qualitymonitoringwiththeresults being submitted to theCounty Council andSouthEastWater; detailsof thearrangements for maintainingtheflowof theephemeral streamduringoperationsand once restored; appropriatestorageof fuel,oil andany chemicals; thesafeguardingof NetworkRail propertyand apparatus; theextractionboundariesnot exceedingthoseproposedinthe applicants’ Geotechnical Assessment(includingan 8m stand-off beingmaintained eitherside ofthe ephemeral streamcrossingthe BurleighFarmextensionarea); the implementation  of  all  the  proposed  ecological  avoidance  and mitigationmeasuresand the submission,approval and implementationof detailedstrategiesinformedby furthersurvey work; the submission,  approval  and  implementation  of  a  programme  of archaeological work;  the  erection  of  fencing  to  ensure  that plant,  machinery  and vehiclesassociatedwiththedevelopmentdo notadversely affect BurleighChapeland thelandand historicinterestassociatedwith it; the submission,approvaland implementationof aschemetoprovide publicaccess toBurleighChapel anddetailsof anappropriate interpretationboard; the submission,approvaland implementationof arrangementsforthe maintenance  of  Footpath  AW12A  during  the  development (includingany infrastructure)and detailsof howitwill be returned to itscurrentconditionon completionof thedevelopment; the submission, approval and   implementation   of   details   for   the proposedpermissivepathsinCharingQuarry (Eastand West), includingthetimingof theiravailability andany surfacingand associatedinfrastructure;and measurestoensurethatsoilsarestripped,handled,storedand replacedinaccordancewithbest practice;

(b)       permission be granted for thevariationof conditions(ii), (vi)and (vii)of Permission AS/83/290,conditions2 and4 of PermissionAS/90/1702,conditions2, 3 and12 ofPermissionAS/00/742and conditions2 and 3of PermissionAS/10/1352toallow the restorationrequiredby thesepermissionsto bedelayedand amendedtofacilitatethedevelopmenthereby granted subject to additionalconditionsthatwouldonlyprovideforthe delays  and  amendments  to  those  Permissions ifthis Permission  isimplemented; and

(c)       the applicants be advised by Informative of the needfor Landdrainageconsent; a footpathdiversionorder(s); a  Section  278  Agreement  for  the  works  associated  with  the conveyortunneland trafficmanagementrelatingtothoseworks; and Listed  building  and/or  other  consent  from  Ashford  Borough Council for the proposed remediationand maintenanceworks to BurleighChapel andany andfencingtoprotector encloseit.