Planning News April 2017

The Planning Committee met in April in Benenden. This bulletin contains news relating to applications dealt with and decisions handed down since the last meeting in February, as well as proposed future action on some current applications.

MATTERS ARISING FROM FEBRUARY MEETING

None

REPORT ON WKPS SUBMISSIONS TO LPAs SINCE FEBRUARY 2017

17/00161/AS Catt Farm Oast, Catts Hill, Stone,Tenterden TN30 7JR — Erection of a single storey side extension. General comment. ABC PERMITTED on 16/3.

17/00199/AS Woodside, Nickley Wood Road,Shadoxhurst TN26 1LZ — Use of the land for the stationing of 2 no. mobile homes for a gypsy family, the stationing of 2 no. touring caravans and the erection of 2 metre high fence (part retrospective). WKPS objection.

17/00172/AS Buildings and Yard opposite Laurenden, Cranbrook Road, Tenterden — Erection of three dwellings with ecological enhancement and associated garaging. WKPS acceptable improvement of brownfield site but query lack of D&A statement.

17/00283/AS Tyle House Farm, Stocks Road,Wittersham TN30 7EH — Erection of 2 no. detached dwellings with new access.WKPS objection.  (Note: 16/00947/AS, the previous application for 3 detached houses, refused by ABC in November 2016,has been appealed by the applicant.)

17/00290/AS 20 Jupiter Lane, Kingsnorth, AshfordTN23 3RL — Erection of 2 no. two storey dwellings with associated facilities and parking. The land was the subject of approval for change of use from amenity to garden land in 2016. This application is to build on that garden land. WKPS objection and comment on the trend for such applications.

17/00162/AS Frog Hollow, Church Lane,Shadoxhurst, Ashford TN26 1LY — Outline application for the erection of a replacement detached dwelling. WKPS objection. Only 5 months ago an application for the change of use of the land to residential garden land was approved (ref:15/01674/AS). WKPS objection.

16/01854/AS Site of former Great Chart Motors,The Street, Great Chart TN23 3AH — Erection of 4 two storey dwellings (amended description 6.3.17). Reduction from 5 to 4 houses on the site. WKPS objected tothe original 5 houses which didn’t allow for parking and bin space. WKPS supported the new proposal.

16/01790/AS Braid Farm, Burnthouse Lane, SmardenTN27 8PT — Change of use of agricultural land to 50 pitch holiday campsite with new washroom, laundry, toilet and refuse block. WKPS objection overcrowding,not a discreet site.

17/00244/AS Land to the rear and north of TheOld Surgery, The Street, Appledore — Erection of 4 detached houses together with associated access. WKPS general comment re: ideally a tandem development with adjacent allocated site.

17/00203/AS Church Farm Barn, Church Hill, High Halden TN26 3JB — To site a shipping container on a hardcore and concrete base to act as an implement store. WKPS commented on lack of details of need for store and queried its form.

17/500909/REM/MA Land east of ThatchBarn Road and south of Lenham Road, Headcorn — Reserved matters application following outline approval 14/503960/OUT (Outline application for 13 no dwellings houses, etc.) — Approval being sought Landscaping re: condition 2 of the outline approval. WKPS supported landscaping proposals.

17/00272/AS Land at The Willows, Mock Lane,Great Chart — Proposed residential dwelling. WKPS supported; small new dwelling adjacent to Chilmington Green development.

17/00284/AS Hoopoe House, Maytham Road,Rolvenden, Cranbrook TN17 4NP — Demolition of existing garage with replacement erection of two storey side extension with additional first floor window on theeast elevation, erection of a front porch, and repositioning of vehicular access. WKPS supported in principle with concerns of loss of privacy to neighbour.

17/00299/AS Land west of 1 to 4 Thanet Terrace,The Street, Hothfield — Construction of a new 1.5 storey dwelling, with integral garage and associated access, parking and landscaping. WKPS objected,outside built confines, set a precedent, overbearing in relation to neighbouring properties.

17/00487/FULL/TW Chilworth, High Street, Cranbrook TN17 3DT — Erection of 1.6m high close boarded timber gates across an existing entrance way. WKPS objection. In conservation area, at odds with street scene.

17/00451/REM/TW Land off Common Road, Sissinghurst— Approval of Reserved Matters (Details of access (other than vehicular access into site from Common Road), Appearance, Landscaping, Layout and Scale)following Outline permission for 14/502645/OUT — Development of up to 60 new homes (including 35% affordable housing). WKPS general comment, lack of innovation, absence of market housing for elderly/disabled.

REPORT OF LPA DECISIONS WHERE WKPS HAS COMMENTED

16/01060/AS Land rear of Roundstone, Six Fields Path, Tenterden — Erection of 3 no. dwelling houses with associated landscaping/works, access and outbuildings. WKPS objected. WITHDRAWN by applicant.

16/01493/AS The Willows, Pluckley Road,Bethersden TN26 3ET — Variation of condition 2 on planning approval 04/00551/AS to allow the stationing of 5 caravans, of which up to 4 can be static caravans/mobile homes and for the storage of one touring caravan not for residential accommodation. WKPS objected. ABC REFUSED.

16/01883/AS The Memorial Hall, Ashford Road,High Halden — Creation of a parking area/drop off zone and dropped kerbs. WKPS supported. ABC PERMITTED.

16/01836/AS Land between 82-120 Front Road,Woodchurch — Erection of 8 no. two storey dwellings with access. WKPS objected. WITHDRAWN BY APPLICANT.

16/01328/AS Magpie Farm, The Street, Appledore TN26 2AE — Demolition of existing dwelling, workshop and buildings. Erection of five detached dwellings together with associated parking, garaging, access and landscaping. WKPS stated site has potential for development but that the Local Plan should be considered. ABC PERMITTED.

17/00078/AS Oaklands, Ashford Road, High Halden TN26 3NA — Erection of a double garage within the front garden and conversion of existing integral garage to a bedroom and utility room. WKPS objected to the garage part of the proposal. ABC PERMITTED.

16/01841/AS Land between The Hollies and Park Farm Close, Woodchurch Road, Shadoxhurst — Erection of 12 dwellings, the creation of a new access from Woodchurch Road, new landscaping and ancillary works (revision to reference 15/00539/AS for 15 dwellings). WKPS submitted a general comment on the original application and an objection to the revised application. ABC PERMITTED 12 houses. Applicant has withdrawn the appeal on the 15 houses.

16/01706/AS Agricultural Barns, Britton Farm,Maidstone Road, Hothfield — Full application for the demolition of 2 disused agricultural barns and the erection of 3 detached dwellings, with associated private parking, landscaping and provision of new access onto Ram Lane,Hothfield. WKPS supported in principle but with major reservations about the narrowness of Ram Lane. ABC PERMITTED.

16/00583/AS Oldbury, Brissenden Green Lane,Bethersden TN26 3BJ — Retrospective application to change the use of site forbusiness and storage purposes (within Classes B1(a), B2 and B8 of the Schedule to the Use Classes Order with associated landscaping and ecological enhancements. WKPS objected. ABC REFUSED.

REPORT OF APPEAL SUBMISSIONS

None

REPORT OF APPEAL DECISIONS

None

CHAIR’S REPORT

  1.  Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan — The examiner’s decision was that the plan did not meetBasic Conditions and so it could not go forward to a referendum. The highlighted points were: available data used with a narrow interpretation; the village wanting organic growth rather than inward migration; the assessment ofpeople using the railway was unrealistic. The Plan was found to fail to comply with Human Rights legislation; capping the number of houses in any one site was not acceptable, and the percentage of affordable units was too low at 20%.
  2.  We understand that Headcorn PC spent £30k on a judicial review on Hazlepits (220 houses) and this is ongoing.
  3.  Spitalfields Trust,Archbishop’s Palace, Charing. The Trust has an option to buy the whole site by2019. ST will be transforming the Gatehouse into a one-bed house. The GreatHall had a large gap in the wall but this has now been filled.
  4.  Developers are quoting the NPPF more and more to justify their proposed developments — we need to refer to it and quote it in our comments.
  5.  Maidstone BC’sLocal Plan has been published and is available on MBC’s website. Comments are invited.

PLANNING ITEMS FOR COMMENTS, APRIL 2017

17/00103/AS Tesco Stores Ltd, Smallhythe Road, Tenterden TN30 7LN— Installation of dry cleaning, key cutting, shoe and watch repairs pod to Tesco premises. (Amended plans) WKPS originally objected to the location of the pod. It has now been moved to a better position, within the commercial footprint. Small relative to the size of the store. No further comment to be made.

17/00303/AS Land south of railway line and west of, Pluckley Road,Charing — Outline planning application for up to 245 dwellings (including 35%affordable housing), introduction of structural planting and landscaping,informal public open space and children’s play area (LEAP and MUGA), balancing ponds, vehicular access point from Pluckley Road and associated ancillary works. All matters reserved with the exception of the means of access onto Pluckley Road. Not an allocated site in the Draft Local Plan, speculative development,untenable strain on all local services, access to the A20 is dangerous,accident hotspot, no justification to build on this scale, parking availability in the village is already a serious problem, waterlogged site danger off looding. WKPS to object.

17/00419/AS Collina House Hotel, 5 East Hill, Tenterden TN30 6RL —Change of use of B&B guest house/former hotel and staff accommodation to 4no. apartments and separate holiday cottage to include first floor side extension, changes to fenestration, proposed dormer and balcony to north elevation. Previous application was refused. Existing use as a hotel is not viable. Parking spaces are adequate; no additional vehicles required on EastStreet. WKPS to generally support as a viable plan for this building which is now falling into disrepair.

17/00446/AS Land between Beechwood Farm and London Beach GolfClub, Ashford Road, St Michaels, Tenterden — Erection of three new dwellings and associated external works. Architect designed, modern buildings, flat &green roofs, high end of the market. Allocated site under Policy S.42 for up to3 no. dwellings of innovative design, quality and energy efficient, separate entrance west of the golf club, low profile 2 storey  buildings as built into the hillside.Premature application as the Local Plan is in draft form. WKPS to provisionally support and await further details.

17/00258/AS Land rear of Rose Cottage Farm, North Street, BIddenden — A Hybrid application comprising a Detailed Application for the erection of 45 dwellings, of which 40% will be affordable, together with access and associated works, and an Outline Application for the erection of a CommunityFacility/B1 building with design, scale and massing as reserved matters.Allocated site in draft local plan — Policy S.27. Two storey buildings with one having accommodation in roof. Roofs too tall and steep, affordable housing isin one corner, houses appear to meet minimum space standards but look very cramped internally, fewer dwellings would be desirable. The existing village halls need modernising, another amenity building, unless used as a dedicated health centre, seems unnecessary. WKPS to comment generally.

17/00375/AS 1 The Street, Appledore — Part demolition,restoration and conversion, and extension to existing site to six residential units, one of which will be a live/work unit. A good solution to the problem of use of this site, previously used as a motor home repair business. Design is elegant and simple with space between each dwelling. WKPS to support but note that attention should be paid to the safety of vehicles leaving the site.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This paragraph deals with actions planned rather than already taken. Readers are asked to note that the opinions and action points are those expressed by the planning committee as a whole. They are not always the final decisions. Many items discussed at meetings require further research before we reach a final decision on action to be taken.