No apologies of absence were received.

The minutes of the Planning Committee meeting held on Wednesday 23 October were signed by the Chair.

To declare any interest members may have in the items contained on this agenda.   When declaring an interest a member must state what their interest is.  Any declared interest will fall into one of the following categories:

A Disclosable Pecuniary Interest which has been or should have been declared to the Monitoring Officer, and in respect of which the member must leave the chamber for the whole of the item in question;

An Other Significant Interest under the Code of Conduct and in respect of which the member must leave the chamber for the whole of the item in question unless exercising the right of public speaking extended to the general public;

A voluntary announcement of another interest not falling into the above categories, made for reasons of transparency.

Councillor Lyn Milner expressed an interest in item 5b of the agenda, 20240834 - Anglo Saxons Friendly Society, Anglo Saxons Hall, 2-3 Berkley Road.  Cllr Milner was a retired member of the Anglo Saxon Friendly Society and as such could receive monetary discounts for dental and optician care.  Cllr Milner advised she would leave the Chamber when the item was heard and therefore abstain from voting.

Councillor Ejaz Aslam expressed an interest in item 5a of the agenda, 20240590 - Denton Wharf, Mark Lane, Gravesend.  Cllr Aslam rents a warehouse at Denton Wharf and has no financial interest in the application. The application does not affect his use of the warehouse and he has not come to any view in respect of the application and he has no other significant interest.

RESOLVED that Planning PERMISSION be granted subject to conditions as set out in the report and in addition, a further planning condition to be imposed requesting details of any lighting to be installed to be approved by the Local Planning Authority prior to its installation.

The Committee were presented with application 20240590 - Denton Wharf, Mark Lane, Gravesend.  The application was for the upgrade of the existing radar tower to increase the height. Denton Wharf was the Port of London Authority’s marine base of operations in Gravesend.

The Senior Planning officer outlined key areas of the report:

·        The existing tower was 18 metres in height, constructed in steel and of a lattice design.  The base was 4.094 metres in width, with the tower tapering in height.  The top of the tower expanded in width at the top to 5.8 metres.

·        The proposal was to retain the existing base but to remove the top 6 metres.  A new section would then be installed, increasing the overall height of the tower to 31 metres.  The extension of the tower would be in steel to match the existing material.  The width at the top would be 1.7 metres due to its tapered design.  There would also be a small platform 2 metres from the top for servicing and maintenance.

·        It was noted that the applicant had expressed the proposed new height of 31 metres was a compromise to the preferred height of 40 metres or greater in height.  The height could therefore not be lowered below 31 metres, as vessel traffic services would not be able to be carried out. 

·        Members were informed that visually the new tower would have a greater visual impact than the existing tower and therefore a degree of harm to the character and appearance of the area.  However, the top part of the tower was more slender than the existing design, located in predominantly industrial area and not harmful to any designated heritage assets.  The impact was not considered significant enough to refuse the application.

·        The application had arisen due to the relocation of the PLA’s vessel traffic services from the PLA’s Thames Barrier Navigation Centre in Greenwich. The tower was required as a backup and needed to be in close proximity to the primary tower at the Port of London Authority (PLA), Royal Pier Road.  Other sites nearby had been considered, but as the tower already existed at Denton Wharf, this was considered the best location.

·        The proposal was required to provide continued safe navigation on the River Thames in which the PLA was the statutory authority.

The Committee heard the views of a registered speaker in favour of the application and had their questions answered.

·        Members sought clarity on the previous and new use of the tower, given that in the report, the existing tower was described as a mobile tower rather than a radar tower.  The speaker explained that the tower was initially a mobile tower with CCTV and minor radar infrastructure in place for the local Denton area.  The proposal of an enhanced tower was due to the move of the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) operation and the ICT requirements for the back up operation centre at Denton. 

·        Concern was raised in regard to drones hitting the tower due  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35a

RESOLVED that the application be DELEGATED to the Head of Planning to grant PERMISSION subject to conditions and informatives as set out in the report and subject to consultation with Kent Fire and Rescue. Should Kent Fire and Rescue request any amendments to the proposed plans, the application shall be reported back to Planning Committee for re-determination.

Cllr Lyn Milner left the Council Chamber for the entirety of this item.

The Committee considered application 20240834 - Anglo Saxons Friendly Society, Anglo Saxons Hall, 2-3 Berkley Road.  The application was for the Change of use of the former Anglo Saxons Friendly Society offices and meeting space to 2 x 1 bed flats and 10 x 1 bed HMO. Demolition of existing rear single storey flat roofed extensions and removal of 2 storey rear external metal fire escape. Erection of new single storey rear extension, new traditionally detailed fenestration at front of building, new dormer extension to rear, and new cycle and bin stores.

The Head of Planning informed Members that consideration was only for the proposed development and not the management of the HMO, which was covered by a separate regime and would require an HMO license from Private Housing.  In addition, Private Housing required HMOs to meet requirements set out within their guidance for HMO amenity standards.

The Senior Planning Officer outlined key areas of the report:

·        The site comprising of the Anglo-Saxon Friendly Society buildings, was situated in the urban, town centre area and within the King Street Conservation Area.  The property had been vacant since 2019.

·        The King Street conservation area character appraisal stated that, Berkley Road was recognised for being a self-contained late 19^th Century residential area with small, terraced houses and one of the principal features of the road being the landmark Anglo-Saxon Friendly Society buildings.

·        Minimal changes were planned to the front of the building overall.  Existing UPVC windows would be replaced with double glazed timber framed sash windows, enhancing the look of the building within the conservation area.

·        The flats would be located at the southern part of the building on the ground and first floor.  The remainder of the building would become a 10-bedroom house of multiple occupation (HMO), with 4 bedrooms on the ground and first floor plus 2 bedrooms in the extended roof.  There would be a shared kitchen/living and dining area in the basement.

·        The ground floor flat and HMO would have access to an amenity area at the rear. There would be an internal and an external bin store for the two flats. Bike storage was available in the rear amenity space for the HMO.

·        The proposed flat met with local and national space standards. The HMO would be single occupancy and met the minimum bedroom requirement for single occupancy.  The living area within the HMO was also in excess of the minimum space requirements.

·        Waste storage was conditioned to be provided.  GBC waste had no concerns and was satisfied with the waste provision and collection arrangements.

·        There was no existing or proposed parking for the site.  Given the easy accessibility of the site to public transport and town centre services/facilities, there was not a requirement for parking. Bicycle parking was conditioned to be provided.

·        It was considered that the proposal of the development would enhance the character and appearance of the conservation area.

The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35b

RESOLVED that the non-material amendment application is APPROVED subject to the conditions and informatives set out within the report.

The Committee considered application 20240987 - Former Site of Battle of Britain, Coldharbour Road, Northfleet. The application was for a non-material amendment to planning permission reference number 20231182.

The Senior Planning Officer outlined key points from the report:

·        The previously approved application was granted in March 2024 and was for the construction of a care home with associated parking, access, boundary treatments, landscaping and associated works.

·        The new application was a non-material amendment allowing for changes in levels/landscaping, alterations to the position and extent of boundary treatments and the addition of a sub-station.

·        Members were requested to only consider the changes proposed and not the principle of the development or matters already approved.

·        Members were advised that the addition of the sub-station would mean the ground levels would be slightly altered and as a result changes would be required to the surrounding pathways and stairs.

·        Hedging was proposed to surround the sub-station and therefore obscure it’s view along the New House Lane elevation. The substation would have a GRP roof.

·        Condition 12 of the approved application required compliance with approved site levels.  If Members were minded to approve the application the condition would be updated to refer to revised plan as a point of clerical accuracy.

·        As the proposed amendment does not represent a material change to the original permitted application, the proposed amendment can be approved as a non-material amendment under section 96A of the Town and Country Planning Act.

The Committee heard the views of a registered speaker in favour of the application and had their questions answered. 

·        Concern was raised regarding noise from the sub-station which could disturb local residents.  The speaker advised a noise assessment was carried out in relation to the residents in St Clements Close, which confirmed it was unlikely there would be a noise impact.

·        Members queried why the substation was not included in the initial application.  Although not a planning consideration, the speaker explained that it was a requirement following engagement with the power company in terms of the power supply required.  The Head of Planning added that since the previous application was approved, consideration would have also been given to other developments in the interim and the impact on the power network.

·        Members queried why the application was before them, if considered a non-material consideration.  The Head of Planning advised Members needed to agree if it was indeed a non-material change to the approved scheme.

·        Concern was raised that hedging was not sufficient from a safety perspective and if steel fencing should be considered.  The Head of Planning advised that a change to the screening was not a consideration. From a safety perspective the substation was within an enclosure on a private site, which would be locked.  This was normal practice at developments.  The hedging was not a safety requirement but a visual screening.  The speaker confirmed that the sub-station was protected by the locked GRP enclosure, which was common. 

The Committee heard the views of the Ward Councillor for Coldharbour  ...  view the full minutes text for item 35c

A copy of the schedule has been placed in the democracy web library. A hard copy is also available upon request: -

Document library - Gravesham Borough Council

A schedule showing applications determined by the Director (Environment) under delegated powers had been published on the Council’s website.