The Planning Committee met in August in Ebony. This bulletin contains news relating to applications dealt with and decisions handed down since the last meeting in June, as well as proposed future action on some current applications.
MATTERS ARISING FROM JUNE MEETING — None.
REPORT OF SUBMISSIONS BETWEEN MEETINGs
17/00837/AS Pinnock Yard, The Pinnock, Pluckley — Erection of a terrace of two 3 bed and two 2 bed houses with parking together with 3 allotments. (SE) WKPS support in principle, subject to retention of houses as affordable in perpetuity.
17/01575/FULL/TW Marlborough House School, High Street, Hawkhurst TN18 4PY — Erection of 9 no. residential dwellings with new outward access, parking and associated landscaping. (MG) WKPS objection. Since withdrawn by the applicant.
17/00952/AS Land east of Hope House, Ashford Road, High Halden — Outline application for the residential development of up to 28 dwellings with access. (RD) WKPS supported in principle but expressed need for more 2-bed housing.
17/00992/AS Land north of Belvedere Lodge, High Halden Lane, High Halden — Erection of a two storey dwelling house with triple bay detached garage. (RD) WKPS objection.
17/02090/FULL/TW Land south and west of The White House, Highgate Hill, Hawkhurst TN18 4LB — Erection of seven detached dwellings and associated garaging/car parking spaces and access. (MG) WKPS objection.
17/00784/AS Land east of Acton Lane, Wittersham — The installation of 1 no. 22.5m Phosco Monopole, 3 no. antennas, 2 no. 0.3m dishes, 4 no. Equipment Cabinets and ancillary development thereto: on a 4.0m x 4.0m x 1.0m concrete foundation within a 7m x 0.7m timber fence compound with planted screening scheme (making total demise approximately 8.0m x 8.0m). (JY) WKPS expressed concern about the siting of the mast in the AONB, but acknowledged that a mast is needed. Suggested that ABC agree a suitable site with the applicant.
REPORT OF LPA DECISIONS WHERE WKPS HAS COMMENTED
17/00283/AS Tyle House Farm, Stocks Road, Wittersham TN30 7EH — Erection of 2 no. detached dwellings with new access. WKPS objected. ABC REFUSED.
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. ABC REFUSED.
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), etc. (SE) WKPS objected. ABC REFUSED.
17/00272/AS Land at The Willows, Mock Lane, Great Chart — Proposed residential dwelling. (RT) WKPS supported. ABC PERMITTED.
16/01090/AS Land west of Shrubcote and south west of Appledore Road, Tenterden — Amended — Erection of 4 detached dwellings (was 6). (BR) WKPS general comment. ABC REFUSED.
16/00751/AS Breton Court, Grange Road, Tenterden — Enlargement of care home to accommodate 24 bedrooms. (BR) WKPS supported. ABC PERMITTED.
16/07510/OUT/TW Land off Chequers Road, Goudhurst — Outline (All matters reserved) — Residential development (4 no. bungalows for older residents). (RT) WKPS objected. TWBC REFUSED. APPLICANT HAS LODGED AN APPEAL.
REPORT OF APPEAL SUBMISSIONS
None
REPORT OF APPEAL DECISIONS
16/00947/AS Tyle House Farm, Stocks Road, Wittersham TN30 7EH — Erection of 3 no. detached two storey dwellings. APPEAL DISMISSED.
CHAIR’S REPORT
PLANNING ITEMS FOR COMMENTS, AUGUST 2017
17/01089/AS Gower Farm Barn, Susans Hill, Woodchurch TN26 3RE — Erection of 2 no. dwellings with associated parking and gardens. The residential conversion of the barn itself was the subject of protracted discussions with ABC and was granted 18 months ago. Although the site is within the garden of the barn it is outside LBD, in the countryside. It is not an identified site for development. Other dwellings on Susan’s Hill but these are of a certain age. No justification for the proposal. The conversion of an existing building is one thing, but new build in the countryside is another. WKPS to object.
17/503284/FULL/MA Church Farm, Ulcombe Hill, Ulcombe, Maidstone ME17 1DN — Erection of Cravo greenhouses, general purpose agricultural storage building, water storage tanks, drainage works, construction of a reservoir and landscaping. Vast development covering almost 30 acres. Steel framed greenhouses with polythene sheet covering to grow fruit trees. Listed Grade I church which is well screened by its own Yew Trees. Storage facility 70m x 25m x 8m high. Greenhouses 5m high. Location is in a Special Landscape Area on the Green Sand Ridge, the visual impact will be considerable. Suspect that the greenhouses will be lit at night to promote growth of trees — potential for light pollution in an otherwise dark location. The project represents an industrialisation of this otherwise unspoilt landscape. WKPS to object.
17/01084/AS London Beach Golf Club, Ashford Road, St Michaels, Tenterden TN30 6HX — Erection of five retirement cottages attached to the hotel with associated car parking and landscaping. Lack of parking; only one space per house, the inclusion of 1 bed on the ground floor causing a cramped, imbalanced living space. The houses are situated 100m beyond the rear of the hotel building which pushes the building into the countryside and the golf course itself. Only means of access is via the hotel which would lead to maintenance and other liabilities on the purchasers of the properties. WKPS to object.
17/01047/AS Tenterden Car Wash, Recreation Ground Road, Tenterden — Erection of a three storey mixed use building with 6 no. flats and a retail unit on the ground floor and associated parking. There is a demand for flats in a central location, query retail space necessary. When the TENT1 build is completed Recreation Ground Road will be extremely busy. The proposal causes the loss of public parking spaces, existing spaces are already under severe strain/pressure in the town many having been lost from the Leisure Centre and Tesco, also a loss of turning space for delivery lorries to local retail units. The committee had mixed views on design, height, etc., so comment to be restricted to the parking and congestion issues. WKPS to object.
17/01093/AS Land adjoining The King’s Head, The Street, Hothfield — Construction of one detached dwelling and two semi-detached dwellings, together with associated access, garaging, parking and landscaping. A pair of semi-detached houses has previously been refused. The Street comprises unassuming short terraces interspersed with three listed buildings, one being the pub, the 50s,60s & 70s brick and tile terraces are of no architectural merit. Precedent at the other end of The Street of a detached property with garage. Within built environment, infill, village is in support, site will not be over developed and the buildings will not detract from the Grade II Listed pub. WKPS to support.
17/02175/TW Paul’s Farm, Water Lane, Hawkhurst TN18 5AX — Erection of a 2m high boundary fence adjacent to Water Lane. This very high close boarded fence will suburbanise a rural lane. Application does not state the length of the fence. Further investigations will be carried out. WKPS to object.
17/01060/FULL/AS The Paddock, Egerton Road, Charing TN27 0AX – Use of land for stationing of one mobile home and two touring caravans for residential purposes, erection of replacement stable/utility building for the keeping of horses/use ancillary to the residential caravan site, and laying of hardstanding. Thought to be a genuine gypsy but unsure about traveller status, 5 children at local schools so the family is settled. WKPS to object and highlight the problem of the lack of official sites for gypsies.
17/02192/TW Former site of Springfield Nurseries, Cranbrook Road, Hawkhurst TN18 5EE — Outline (Access not reserved) — Proposed erection of 24 dwellings to include garaging, parking provision, improvements to existing vehicular access, landscaping and other ancillary works. Within LBD, allocated site, 35% affordable housing and a good proportion of 2 bed houses. Part of a larger scheme to achieve 40 houses on this site. Steep uphill walk to village. Serious impact on traffic congestion. WKPS to object. It was also agreed that we will write to TWBC (with copy to KCC) expressing the concern about the impact of all the developments currently underway, and permitted, in Hawkhurst on the traffic congestion which is already causing severe pressure. Further research to obtain numbers of permitted houses to add emphasis to our concerns and that of other bodies.
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