Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves or their spouse, civil partner or person with whom they are living with as a spouse or civil partner.  They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any interests to declare in respect of items on this agenda, under the following headings:

(a)          Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI) under the Localism Act 2011.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DPI, the Member must leave the meeting and not take part in the discussion or vote.  This applies even if there is provision for public speaking.

(b)          Disclosable Non Pecuniary Interests (DNPI) under the Code of Conduct adopted by the Council in May 2012.  The nature as well as the existence of any such interest must be declared.  After declaring a DNPI interest, the Member may stay, speak and vote on the matter.

(c)           Where it is possible that a fair-minded and informed observer, having considered the facts would conclude that there was a real possibility that the Member might be predetermined or biased the Member should declare their predetermination or bias and then leave the meeting while that item is considered.

Advice to Members:  If any Councillor has any doubt about the existence or nature of any DPI or DNPI which he/she may have in any item on this agenda, he/she should seek advice from the Monitoring Officer, the Head of Legal or from other Solicitors in Legal Services as early as possible, and in advance of the Meeting.

No interests were declared.

10 am – Item 2.1 21/503124/OUT Land to The North of Elm Lane Minster-on-Sea Sheerness Kent ME12 3RZ.

The Chair welcomed the Agent, the applicant, local residents, representatives of Minster Parish Council and Members to the meeting.

The Council’s Planning Consultant introduced the application which was for the development of up to 44 dwellings (outline planning application with all matters reserved apart from means of access off Drake Avenue) on two hectares of land to The North of Elm Lane, Minster-on-Sea.  One existing bungalow 67 Drake Avenue would be demolished to allow access.  The site was elevated at the northern boundary due to the redundant railway track of the former station and the Planning Consultant stated that it could not be considered a Heritage Asset as not much of the former line had been lost.  The Planning Consultant explained that the site was used as paddocks and under planning law was classified as a brownfield site (previously developed).  There would be a 10.24% increase in biodiversity from improvements to the open space of the site.  The Planning Consultant advised that independent landscape advisors had said that the Council would not be able to win any appeal on the grounds of impact to the local landscape.  He said that the application complied with Policy ST3 (The Swale settlement strategy) and because the Council did not have a 5-year housing supply the ‘tilted balance’ applied which made it difficult to uphold grounds of refusal at any future appeal, and the risk of an award of costs.

The Chair invited representatives from Minster Parish Council to speak.  They spoke against the application and raised the following points:

·         The site was outside the built-up area of Minster;

·         the site was in an unsustainable location;

·         the site was greenfield land, not brownfield;

·         the development would have an adverse impact on the local highway network;

·         the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was a developers charter which the Council would challenge if it was not in the best interests of local residents;

·         this would lead to the fragmentation of the village of Minster;

·         Parish and local residents strongly opposed the development;

·         the ‘cumulative’ impact of other large developments in the area on local infrastructure meant that this development was unacceptable on highway grounds;

·         noted that Highways England (HE) [now National Highways] had imposed conditions on larger planning applications in Swale until the improvements on the M2 junction 5 and the A249 Grovehurst Road junction had been completed;

·         would exacerbate existing problems with surface-water flooding in Nelson Avenue and Drake Avenue, Minster;

·         who paid for the independent transport assessments?;

·         any future development east of Cowstead Corner was unacceptable;

·         single plots had been refused permission due to impact on the local road network, so this major development should be refused;

·         loss of open countryside;

·         would lead to an adverse impact on the views from Minster Abbey; and

·         the water supply for the Isle of Sheppey was already at capacity.

In response, the Planning Consultant advised that HE could not impose restrictions on such small-scale developments in Swale.

The Chair invited local residents to speak.  They spoke in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 231.