RESOLVED: That Councillor B.J. Drayson be elected Chair of the Planning Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year.

RESOLVED: That Councillor J. Stanger be elected Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee for the remainder of the 2023/24 municipal year.

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on the 14 December 2023 as a correct record of the proceedings.

The Vice-Chair was authorised to sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 2023 as a correct record of the proceedings.

The Chair to ask if any Member present is substituting for another Member and, if so, to declare their name as substitute Member and the name of the absent Member.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors F.H. Chowdhury, T.O. Grohne and T.M. Killeen (MBE).

It was noted that Councillors J. Barnes (MBE) and Field were present as substitutes for Councillors Grohne and Killeen, respectively.

To receive any disclosures by Members of disclosable pecuniary interests / other registerable interests / non-registerable interests in matters on the agenda and the nature of any interest and details of any dispensations obtained.  Members are reminded of the need to repeat their declaration immediately prior to the commencement of the item in question.

Declarations of interest were made by Councillors in the Minutes as indicated below:

Barnes J          Agenda Item 7 – Non-Registerable Interest as he was previously a Director / Vice-Chair of the Council’s Housing Company (Alliance Homes [Rother] Limited).

Bayliss             Agenda Item 7 – Non-Registerable Interest as an Executive Member at Rother District Council due to pre-determination.

Cook Mrs        Agenda Item 7 – Other Registerable Interest as Ward Member for South Battle and Telham at Rother District Council.

Byrne              Agenda Item 7 – Non-Registerable Interest as an Executive Member at Rother District Council due to pre-determination.

Field                Agenda Item 7 – Non-Registerable Interest as an Executive Member at Rother District Council due to pre-determination.

There were no dispensations noted.

Outline planning permissions are granted subject to approval by the Council of reserved matters before any development is commenced, which are layout, scale, appearance, access and landscaping.  Unless otherwise stated, every planning permission or outline planning permission is granted subject to the development beginning within three years from the date of the permission.  In regard to outline permissions, reserved matters application for approval must be made within three years from the date of the grant of outline permission; and the development to which the permission relates must begin no later than whichever is the later of the following dates: the expiration of three years from the date of the grant of outline permission or, the expiration of two years from the final approval of the reserved matters, or in the case of approval on different dates, the final approval of the last such matters to be approved.

In certain circumstances the Planning Committee will indicate that it is only prepared to grant or refuse planning permission if, or unless, certain amendments to a proposal are undertaken or subject to completion of outstanding consultations.  In these circumstances the Director – Place and Climate Change can be given delegated authority to issue the decision of the Planning Committee once the requirements of the Committee have been satisfactorily complied with.  A delegated decision does not mean that planning permission or refusal will automatically be issued.  If there are consultation objections, difficulties, or negotiations are not satisfactorily concluded, then the application will have to be reported back to the Planning Committee.  This delegation also allows the Director – Place and Climate Change to negotiate and amend applications, conditions, reasons for refusal and notes commensurate with the instructions of the Committee.  Any applications which are considered prior to the expiry of the consultation reply period are automatically delegated for a decision.

RESOLVED: That the Planning Applications be determined as detailed below.

The Chair re-ordered the Agenda to consider Agenda Item 8 next.

Members noted the report of the Development Manager on the performance of the Council’s planning application decisions / targets set against central Government targets, enforcement and appeals performance, as well as a summary of appeals that the Planning Inspectorate had allowed, including reasons.

The Development Manager advised that the Council was performing above internal set targets for major applications.  On-going monitoring would continue to ensure that other targets were met.  It was anticipated that all targets would improve once the new planning software system was operational.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.

The Planning Committee acknowledged the improvements to the design, layout and landscaping etc. of the development but also expressed their disappointment that the Financial Viability Report and independent Viability Assessment demonstrated that the scheme could not viably provide any affordable housing or off-site contribution.  This was attributed to the current global and national economic conditions, particularly in respect of increased construction costs and reduced property values.  Members agreed that a robust ‘review mechanism’ included within the Section 106 Agreement regarding the inclusion of affordable housing was essential in case the situation changed in the future.  The Planning Committee was assured by the Applicant that should viability change, affordable housing provision would be considered / delivered.

DECISION: GRANT PLANNING WITH VARIATION OF AND ADDITION TO THE CONDITIONS WHERE REQUIRED AND MODIFICATION OF THE SECTION 106 PLANNING OBLIGATION WITH REGARD TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND INTRODUCTION OF A REVIEW MECHANISM.

SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS:

The following conditions of outline permission RR/2019/604/P are varied as required and remain extant:

1.        Approval of the details of layout, appearance, landscaping and scale (hereinafter called "the reserved matters") shall be obtained from the Local Planning Authority in writing before development commences.

Reason: In accordance with the requirements of Article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2010.

2.        Plans and particulars of the reserved matters shall be submitted in writing to the Local Planning Authority and shall be carried out as approved.

Reason: In accordance with the requirements of Article 4(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) Order 2010.

3.        Application for approval of all the reserved matters shall be made to the Local Planning Authority before the expiration of three years from the date of the original outline permission granted on 18 December 2020.

Reason: In accordance with section 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004).

4.        The development hereby permitted shall be begun either before the expiration of three years from the date of the original outline permission, or before the expiration of two years from the date of approval of the last of the reserved matters to be approved, whichever is the later.

Reason: In accordance with section 92 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by section 51 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004).

5.        Subject to the details required by Condition 1, the development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved drawings and documents:

Phasing Plan, uploaded 13/09/22

23817A/01, dated March 2019

23817A/02 rev. B, dated March 2019

7500-304 rev. C, dated 15/08/2019

Ecological Impact Assessment by The Ecology Consultancy, dated 16/06/2019

Arboricultural Impact Assessment, by The Ecology Consultancy, dated 03/06/2019

Transport Assessment by GTA Civils dated March 2019 and Addendum dated 15 April 2019

6004/500, dated January 2019

6004/501 rev. B, dated 02/04/2019

Reason: For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

6.        The  ...  view the full minutes text for item PL23/87.

Tuesday 12 March 2024 at 9:30am departing from the Town Hall, Bexhill.

The next site inspection was scheduled to be held on Tuesday 12 March 2024 at 9:30am departing from the Town Hall, Bexhill.