Agenda item

Strood North

Demolition of existing garages and construction of 6 one bedroom flats, 5 two bedroom houses together with parking, bin storage and access. 

Discussion:

The Senior Planner outlined the application and advised the Committee that since despatch of the agenda both Kent Police and Southern Water had submitted representations, details of which were set out on the supplementary agenda advice sheet.

In addition, she drew attention to an addition to the planning appraisal section of the report on the supplementary agenda advice sheet setting out the proposed sizes of the flats and houses. 

It was suggested that if the Committee was minded to approve the application, an additional section 106 head of agreement be approved to require a contribution of £292 towards youth activities to meet Every Child Matters objectives. In addition, it was suggested that proposed conditions 14 and 16 be amended and new conditions 19 and 20 be approved as follows:

14.       No part of the development shall be occupied until the existing access on to Fleet Road is widened and resurfaced in accordance with the submitted plans and it shall be retained as such to provide access to the development at all times thereafter.

16.       Prior to the commencement of the development details of cycle storage for the flats shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The approved details shall thereafter be constructed and made available for use prior to the first occupation of the flats, and shall be retained as such thereafter.

19.       No development shall commence until details of the proposed means of foul and surface water sewerage disposal have been submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority.  The development shall be carried out in accordance with the approved details and shall be retained as such thereafter.

Reason: In order to ensure that adequate provision is made for sewerage disposal.

20.       Prior to the first occupation of any of the dwellings hereby approved the area shown on the submitted layout as vehicle parking and turning space shall be provided, surfaced and drained.  Thereafter it shall be kept available for such use and no permanent development, whether or not permitted by the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (or any order amending, revoking or re-enacting that Order) shall be carried out on the land so shown or in such a position as to preclude vehicular access to this reserved parking and turning space.

Reason:  In order to ensure that there is adequate parking and turning on the site with regard to Policies BNE2, T1, T2 and T13 of the Medway Local Plan 2003.

The Committee discussed the planning application and a Member requested that a site visit be undertaken to enable the Committee to assess the access and egress to and from the application site. In addition, he referred to the heads of agreement for the proposed Section 106 and suggested that if the Committee was minded to approve the application, the funding to be received from the 106 agreement be directed towards facilities in Rochester rather than Strood. The Head of Planning agreed to discuss this matter with the Member outside of the meeting so as to identify the facilities in Rochester which could benefit from this potential funding.

Decision:

Consideration of this application be deferred pending a site visit.