The Conservation and Design Manager introduced the report which set-out proposed boundary changes to Tonge Conservation Area following a review and public consultation and requested that the conservation area should be formally re-designated under Section 69 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.  Members were asked to note the representations made by interested parties to the public consultation on the character appraisals and management strategies documents.  In addition, Members were asked to support the proposed changes in response to the consultation, as set-out at Appendix II of the report, and recommend to Cabinet that they be agreed.  The Conservation and Design Manager considered that the proposed changes would better reflect the characteristics of the Tonge Conservation Area.

The Conservation and Design Manager reported that there were some minor errors and typographical errors in the public consultation version of the conservation area review document.  He confirmed that these would be amended prior to being considered by Cabinet and being adopted. 

Members were invited to ask questions.

A visiting Ward Member supported the proposed changes.  The Member spoke about the temporary one-way system currently in operation through the village which passed several listed buildings which he considered worked very well.   He asked whether it would be possible to include this within the document as a permanent feature?  The Conservation and Design Manager said that he was aware that Kent County Council (KCC) Highways and Transportation were in the process of liaising with Tonge Parish Council and Bapchild Parish Council about a possible Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which might seek to impose a speed and/or weight restriction on Church Road, and that KCC could also be asked to consider securing the referenced temporary one-way system as a permanent feature, but that this was not something that could be included within the Conservation Area document.

The Chairman moved the recommendations in the report and these were seconded by the Vice-Chairman.

Recommended:

(1)          That the content of the public consultation draft of the character appraisal and management strategy document produced for the review, and the representations made on this by interested parties, the details of which are set-out in the report be noted.

(2)          That the changes to the review document proposed by officers in response to the representations received during the course of the public consultation be supported and agreed by Cabinet.