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Planning Minutes – 20th April 2021

Minutes Uploaded on April 27, 2021

PADDOCK WOOD TOWN COUNCIL

The Podmore Building, St Andrews Field, St Andrews Road

Paddock Wood, Kent, TN12 6HT

Telephone:  01892 837373

www.paddockwoodtc.kentparishes.gov.uk

MINUTES of the Planning and Environment Committee meeting held on  Monday 20th April ,2021 at 7.00pm.

 

 

PRESENT:                 Cllr C Williams, in the chair (Joined meeting after  PE109 and took over Chair from Cllr Moon) Cllrs R Moon, , D Sargison,  Cllr M Ridger , Cllr D Kent.

 

 

IN ATTENDANCE:    Mrs C Reilly Deputy Clerk

 

APOLOGIES  None  

 

PE109             DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

                        None

 

PE110             APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING

To APPROVE the minutes of the meeting held on 15th  March, 2021.

These were approved.

 

PE111             DISCUSSION WITH BOROUGH COUNCILLORS

Members are asking how support from the Borough Councilors can be co operatively obtained regarding planning matters (eg ‘call in’ for applications/policies for new strategic sites.)

No borough councilors attended. No response has been received to requests to attend

a meeting of the P and E committee other than an email from Cllr Hamilton suggesting that members of the committee attend training and that other matters should be raised with borough councilors at full Council.

 

PE112             PLANNING APPLICATIONS FOR CONSIDERATION

 

Application Address and proposal Comments
21/00564/FULL 26 Oaklea Road Paddock Wood Tonbridge TN12 6LE. Erection of detached dwelling  Cllr R Moon proposed and Cllr C Williams seconded that the Council object to the application on the grounds that this is an over intensive development of a narrow site with the proposed building extending right up to the boundary and the potential for overlooking of adjacent properties. 3 in favour 2 abstentions. Carried.

 

21/00665/OUT Land Rear Of 7 – 9 Station Road Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent. Outline (Access, Layout and Scale Not Reserved) – Redevelopment of land for a mixed-use development incorporating up to 16no. residential apartments (Use Class C3), office use (Use Class E), and community use (Use Classes E/F1.2/F.2) with associated access and parking Cllr C Williams proposed and Cllr M Ridger seconded that the Council object to the application on the grounds that

·         Block A, at four storeys above ground, is taller than other buildings and is even taller than the building approved for Churchill Homes & will be obtrusive on the skyline.

·         The number of parking spaces are insufficient for the proposed number of flats and employment/community space.  This would increase parking in other areas of the town.  With spaces lost adjacent to this site on Station Road, nearest parking would be on Commercial Road in existing bays (which are being reduced by the Churchill Development) and car parks which are full during busy periods.  There is no pedestrian access directly between this area and Commercial Road and there is little connection to other areas of the town, except via the vehicular access.  It is unclear whether this access has a footpath which allows accessible access to this site.

·         The previous flood risk assessment identifies that this development is largely within Flood Zones 2 & 3 but does not include an adequate surface water drainage plan to ensure run off will not impact on surrounding areas & how it will be prevented from accessing foul waste systems.  This is an area of mixed surface and foul water drains, with sewage appearing in the street during periods of significant rainfall, which occur several times each year. Therefore management of surface and waste water needs to be clearly planned for and should not exacerbate existing problems, adding to existing health hazards.

·         PWTC understand the need for a mixed Town Centre development of housing, economic and retails/recreation space, but this plan has not taken account of the emerging Neighbourhood Plan, which is looking to expand Town Centre facilities to include an evening economy, with additional retail units, outdoor social/recreational space such as a Town Square.  It is not clear that the proposal is coherent with the Master Planning Policy developed by TWBC, but it is important that the town centre flows and is accessible from more than one direction.

·         It is of concern that the onsite access for fire services is not met with this proposal.

·         There is a sole pedestrian entrance and exit point which is shared with vehicles through a busy car park, this is unsafe and also a threat to personal security of people on foot in the event of antisocial behaviour at quiet times and overnight.

·         There is no connectivity with Commercial Road which is the main pedestrian and retail area in the town.

·         This site is one of the only remaining areas of land that can have a role in the masterplanning for the town centre that is envisaged in the TWBC Drat Local Plan and the proposed development would further compromise any such plan ahead of the Local Plan being agreed.

·         PWTC feel that the entire sustainability of the Town Centre for the current town and the major quantum of development under way and proposed going forward is further compromised by this proposal.

Unanimous.

 

 

21/00544/FULL. Agricultural Barn Willow Lane Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent. Conversion of redundant barn to create 2No. dwellings with associated hard and soft landscaping; & creation of access track (part retrospective) (Alternative to TW/18/00538/FULL – Increase of roof height by 900mm) Cllr C Williams proposed and Cllr D Kent seconded that the Council have no objection to this application. 3 in favour 2 abstentions , carried.
21/00527/LBC 2 Rose Cottages Church Road Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent TN12 6HH. Listed Building Consent: Single storey side extension and external works (Garden Wall). Cllr C Williams proposed and Cllr M Ridger seconded that the council have no objection to this application. Unanimous.

 

Cllr C Williams proposed and Cllr D Kent seconded that the Borough Councillors for the east ward should be requested to ‘call in’ the application 21/00665/OUT . Unanimous

 

PE 113            Report from meeting held 31st March 2021

 

Stop Overdevelopment of Paddock Wood and PWTC with TWBC Strategic sites team from Cllr Moon(Chairman has option to suspend standing orders to permit resident attendees of this meeting to speak if they wish)

 

Cllr Moon reported that the meeting had been cancelled at very short notice by TWBC due to concerns about ‘purdah’, it being an elections period. Cllr Moon was disappointed by this as were the members of Stop Overdevelopment of Paddock Wood as the election candidates had not at that point been declared and a replacement meeting would now not be possible for some weeks due to the local elections.

The Chairman proposed and Cllr R Moon seconded that S/O should be suspended to permit a resident from STOP ODPW. Members voted and this was agreed unanimously. The resident advised that they had not been issued with another date by TWBC. The Chairman proposed and Cllr R Moon seconded that S/O should be reinstated.  Members voted and this was agreed unanimously.

 

 

PE114             Chairman’s report

Agree how to procced with KCC HIP (Highways Improvement Plan) Scheme.

 

The Chairman referred to the guidance from KCC that had been circulated by the deputy clerk and members discussed what type of improvements might be available once KCC had funding available again. There was discussion about what improvements might be eligible for taking forward and what residents might like to see included. The Chairman proposed and Cllr R Moon seconded that S/O should be suspended to enable residents present to suggest what their priorities might be. Members voted and this was agreed unanimously. Various matters were raised including speeding and how speed limits might be enforced more effectively, the poor state of many roads, effect of construction traffic on air quality, increased congestion and how this might be managed. The Chairman proposed and Cllr R Moon seconded that S/O should be reinstated.  Members voted and this was agreed unanimously. Cllr C Williams proposed and Cllr D Sargison seconded that the NP group should consider these matters and report back and that PWTC should set up a ‘ Survey Monkey’ on the website for residents to respond to in order to determine what the local priorities might be within the parameters of the guidance issued by KCC. Members voted and this was agreed unanimously.

 

 

PE115 DECISIONS BY TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL

The following applications have been determined -refer to twbcpa.midkent.gov.uk/online-applications for details

 

20/01849/FULL           21/00088/FUL 21/00168/LBC

19/03349/FULL           21/00152/FULL

21/00178/FULL 21/00226/FULL

21/00206/FULL           21/00395/FULL

20/02575/FULL           21/00333/FULL

These were noted.

 

PE116             DATE OF NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday 4th May  ,2021 via Zoom. at 7.00 pm.

 

 

Meeting closed at 8.30 pm

 

CHAIRMAN

Paddock Wood Town Council