Agenda item

Please note that this report is accompanied by a number of appendices. Given their size, these appendices have been published on the County Councils website alongside the agenda and are available via the modern.gov app.

Sharon Thompson (Head of Planning Applications) was in attendance for this item.

1.    Mr Oakford (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Corporate and Traded Services) introduced the report and commended Ms Thompson and her team for the significant amount of work undertaken. He said, following publication of the pre-submission drafts for the statutory period between January and March 2019, a total of 405 representations had been received.

2.    Ms Thompson paid tribute to Mr Oakford for his considerable support and guidance throughout the duration of the plan making process. The report outlined the final phase of the Council’s minerals and waste work that set out the strategy for consideration of planning applications in the future. The final decision on whether to adopt the Plans was a matter for the County Council. Ms Thompson said that following the County Council’s decision, in 2018, to submit a Minerals Sites Plan and Early Partial Review of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan to the Secretary of State for independent examination, the result of that examination had found both Local Plans to be sound and legally prepared, subject to the modifications that were discussed at the examination. On that basis, Ms Thompson said that the County Council could proceed to adopt the Plans, subject to those modifications being made (the modifications and the inspector’s report were set out in Appendix A and summarised in paragraph 2.2 of report). Overall, they clarified requirements to ensure development impacts were minimised, and addressed matters raised by the community during the examination process. Ms Thompson said that the modifications did not alter the objective or intentions of policy promoted by the Council or change the sites proposed for allocation. Should the decision be taken by County Council to adopt the Plans, the Cabinet Member responsibility for future Local Plan work would transfer from Mr Oakford to Miss Carey as the Cabinet Member for Environment.

3.    In response to concerns regarding the need for new machinery and the impact upon the greenbelt and potential flood management issues arising from the Stone Castle Farm and Moat Farm sites, Ms Thompson said that, as a result of the inspector’s examination, and in conjunction with concerns raised by the community surrounding the proposed allocated sites, the policy advice to developers in the Mineral Sites Plan had been strengthened.

4.    Members paid tribute to Ms Thompson and her team for the extensive amount of work carried out.

5.    Mr Whybrow requested that his objection to the Mineral Sites Plan be formally recorded. He also thanked Ms Thompson and her team for their hard work.

6.    It was RESOLVED that the Committee:

(a)  note the Inspector’s Report (Appendix A of the report) on the examination of the EPR and MSP and note his recommended modifications;

(b)  note the recommendations of the Sustainability Appraisals of the EPR and MSP; and,

(c)  endorse, the adoption of:

(a)  the Kent Mineral Sites Plan (as modified by the Inspector’s recommendations) (Appendix B of the report); and,

(b)  modifications to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan as set out by the Early Partial Review (as modified by the Inspector’s recommendations) (Appendix C of the report).

(d)  note that the decision to adopt the Kent Mineral Sites Plan and modifications to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan is a matter for County Council and request the County Council to:

(a)  accept the modifications recommended by the Inspector to the Kent Mineral Sites Plan and modifications to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan (as set out by the Early Partial Review); and,

(b)  adopt the Kent Mineral Sites Plan and modifications to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan (as set out by the Early Partial Review) (as modified); and,

(c)  delegate powers to the Corporate Director for Growth, Environment &Transport to approve any non-material changes to the text of the MSP and modifications to the KMWLP (as set out by the Early Partial Review) in consultation with the Deputy Leader prior to their publication.

(e)  note and agree the future work activities on mineral and waste planning activities, as set out in paragraph 5.6 of the report, as the basis for a revised Local Development Scheme.