Meeting Minutes:
Planning and Transport
| Meeting Date: | Monday 28 Apr 2025 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 19:30 |
| Councillors | Jon Aldridge Chairman, Angela Baker, Bill Cummings, Michael Gemmell Smith, Alan Layland, Margot McArthur, Stuart McGregor, Vince Parker, Angela Read Vice-Chairwoman, Michael Stockdale, Jeff Streets, Bob Todd. |
| Committee: | Planning and Transport |
| Venue: | Rickards Hall. 72a High Street Edenbridge, TN8 5AR Kent |
| Notes: | |
| Summary: | Planning Committee |
Agenda
Minutes
Apologies for absence were received, noted, and accepted from Cllrs Baker, Cummings, McArthur, Parker, Streets and Todd.
Cllrs Layland and McGregor knew the applicant for item 6.11; Cllr McGregor said he would leave the meeting for that item.
19:31 The Chairman closed the meeting.
None.
19:31 the Chairman reopened the meeting.
Resolved: to adopt the minutes of Planning Committee meeting on 07 April, and that they be signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record; (091/1-4).
Recommendation: Members supported this application, noting others in area have already done similar.
Recommendation: supported the application, but noted that the LA90 background noise assessment had not been done and are concerned about noise levels to neighbours.
Recommendation: objected to this application:
- Conservation area.
- Four story of modern design building on a very small plot, this violates the street scene and does not compliment the character of the area.
- Nor does it meet the Design Statement or Character Assessment 2021.
- Plans are vague with insufficient information on finished materials
- Overdevelopment of site being a very small plot, and would also have construction difficulties
- Highways concerns with location on a junction.
- Building design of glass, concerns of reflection/glare at a main junction.
- Flood zone 3.
Recommendation: support this application, but maintain its concerns to:
- Ensure there is sufficient off road parking. Currently only three spaces provided for potential six dogs (these could be six individual people with dogs). Members have concerns for roadside parking in that location
- A condition be included to ensure proper management of dog waste
- Dog water provision considered.
Recommendation: supported the application, but subject to officers satisfaction re clarification of the boundaries with neighbours.
Members noted SDC had already decided on this, and had refused the application (item 8.7).
Recommendation: supported the application.
Recommendation: supported the application.
Recommendation: supported the application.
Recommendation: supported the application.
Recommendation: supported the application.
Members noted planning decisions items 8.1 to 8.19.
Members noted councillors and residents could take part in our ‘Better Together’ survey which looks at all aspects of the community and asks what improvements could be made to support you into volunteering and community activity.
Members asked for this consultation be added to the Council's Facebook page, noting KCC were currently identifying potential locations for on-street charging points and welcome your thoughts, especially if you own an EV or are thinking about making the switch. Using its online interactive map, residents were asked o nominate their street - this will help gauge where interest is high.
An application had been made to ‘SDC Street Naming and Numbering’ for the new accommodation for the flats/maisonettes in the new East Block and West Block. After some discussion and looking back at the history of the site noting Spitals was once the location of the hospital run by the monks, and as the Knights Templar were known to have past through Edenbridge, hence the already named Templars Court, Mmebers unanimously,
Resolved: to recommend to SDC:
- East Block – Knights House (or Court).
- West Block – Abbots House (or Court).
KCC consultation on street EVCs.
Noted.
Members received a re consultation 24/02198/FUL - 2 High Street Edenbridge TN8 5AG, which was considered outside the meeting. Members,
Recommendation: maintain its objections to this application:
- It was noted that the site cannot accommodate its BNG obligations onsite.
- The Highways Technical report also comments on the application, and that it does not meet the expectations set out in the specifications set out by Kent Highways which requested a parking survey for seven day period within 100metres. Instead, there was one 24 hour survey presented as if two midweek, across a 200metre area, and included the Leisure Centre car park over midnight. It also does not include the high street in the day time. Overall, the submitted report is unhelpful.
- The property is literally just on the conservation area boundary; and it should be noted this is a Victorian building (and consideration as a heritage asset).
- There is no parking shown on the application and the areas suggested for parking facilities on Stangrove Road, which has extensive parking restrictions, and Lingfield Road, or Tekram Close are impractical as these streets are much further away from the proposed development site, and the relief road is already a very busy road.
- Parking at that end of the town centre is already used during the day by local businesses and shoppers. If this parking is lost it will affect the regeneration of the town centre.
- The demolition of a Victorian building for a new block of flats will damage the historic market town appearance and, especially the view when entering the town from the North end.
- The height of this building is not in keeping with the street scene and also inappropriate for a town the size of Edenbridge. It will cause overlooking and loss of light for some neighbours and is over development in a Conservation Area.