Agenda item

(1)       Mr R W Gough was present for this item as the Local Member and addressed the meeting.

(2)       The Head of Planning Applications Group informed the Committee of correspondence from the Council’s Landscape Advisors giving their view that there would be no adverse landscape impacts arising out of the application.

(3)       The Head of Planning Applications Group agreed to write to Horton Kirby and South Darent PC in respect of their concerns regarding traffic and landscaping and the Committee’s remit in respect of the waste related traffic associated with the application. 

(4)       The Committee agreed that traffic volumes associated with the waste digester facility should be monitored. 

(5)       The Committee agreed to include Informatives advising the applicants to satisfy themselves on the need for any variation to the Environmental Permit regulated by the Environment Agency and any permit/process regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, and that the species/size of any replacement trees should be agreed in writing by the County Planning Authority prior to planting.

(6)       In response to points made by Members of the Committee, the Head of Planning Applications Group confirmed that the Conditions imposed would be worded as instructions (with the additional condition set out in (4) above, as was the usual practice).   

(7)       On being put to the vote, the recommendations of the Head of Planning Applications Group were carried unanimously subject to (4) and (5) above.  

(8)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       permission be granted to the application subject to conditions, including conditions covering the development commencing no later than 3 years after the date of the planning permission; the development being carried out in accordance with the submitted details; the Site Management Plan being approved and implemented as approved; only waste arising from the farm estate being processed at the facility; surface and foul water drainage being carried out in accordance with the submitted details of the attenuation pond; lighting being implemented in accordance with approved details in order to minimise light spill; vehicle movements avoiding peak traffic periods and taking the route identified and detailed in the planning application with the traffic volume associated with the development being monitored and the figures being provided to the County Planning Authority upon request; and landscaping being implemented and thereafter maintained in accordance with the submitted scheme;

(b)          any Informatives still relevant from Permission SE/18/293 being carried forward within this planning permission. This includes Informatives relating to the expiry date of the decision notice and adhering to the conditions; a reminder that it is an offence to damage, remove or destroy the nests of wild birds which are in use; and minimising noise from mechanical apparatus at the site; and

(c)        the applicants be reminded by Informative that:-

(i)        they need to satisfy themselves for the need for any variation to the Environmental Permit regulated by the Environment Agency and a permit/process regulated by the Health and Safety Executive; and

(ii)       in the event of any tree dying or becoming diseased they shall be replaced, the species to be agreed in writing by the Waste Planning Authority prior to planting as required by condition, and there is an expectation that the species will be replaced on a like for like basis of a similar maturity to that lost.