Present:
| Members | Present | Apologies | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair: Cllr G Darrington | ✓ | ||
| Deputy Chair: Cllr P Darrington | ✓ | ||
| Cllr P Brown | ✓ | ||
| Cllr S Durden | ✓ | ||
| Cllr J Ferrari | ✓ | ||
| Cllr M Horwood | ✓ | ||
| Cllr C Prestedge | ✓ | Holiday | |
| Cllr L Taylor | ✓ | Work Commitments | |
| Cllr E Uttley | ✓ |
Officers:
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – Ryan Hayman
Senior Executive Assistant – Adele Farrier
Also Present:
Responsible Financial Officer (RFO) – Stephen Innes
Cllr Rita Wood
Public: None present
MEETING COMMENCED: 19:01
12475 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Cllr C Prestedge
Cllr L Taylor
12476 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
NONE
12477 MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING
To approve as correct the Minutes of the Meeting held on Wednesday 4th June 2025.
APPROVED AND SIGNED
12478 DECISIONS TO BE CONSIDERED BY SWANLEY TOWN COUNCIL
25/00326/OUT Land South Of Hockenden Farm Hockenden Lane Swanley Kent BR8 7QH – COMMENTS DUE BY 24/06/2025
Outline planning application, with all matters reserved except access, for the erection of up to 10,500 sqm of employment floorspace to provide Use Class B2/B8/E(g).
STRONGLY OBJECTS – Our original response dated 20th March 2025 still stands:
Swanley Town Council strongly objects to this proposal on the grounds of this being considered inappropriate development in the Green Belt.
We acknowledge that a significant amount of land is now under threat of development as a result of the Government virtually removing most Green Belt protection, which have been reflected in other Planning Inspector decisions which have been taken to appeal in the local area.
As people will know, ‘Grey Belt’ under the Government’s amendments to the NPPF can include open field and undeveloped countryside.
However, there has been no professional assessment as to whether this land is considered ‘Grey Belt’ under the new government policy and therefore it is subjective as to whether this is the case and constitutes inappropriate development or not.
We acknowledge that it is a subjective assessment, the SDC Local Plan has not yet reached a stage where the clarity of this land is agreed in terms of whether it is highly performing Green Belt, or the Government’s wide ranging ‘Grey Belt’ grading, which removes the protection.
Sevenoaks District Council previously advocated for the development of this land in the ‘Call For Sites’ as an area to develop new affordable homes, and therefore on balance we recognised that, if further evidence supported it, we would have held no objection, recognising national planning caselaw already establishing pieces of land such as this as infill.
This would have protected the wider Swanley Green Belt from further housing development, if the Local Plan was agreed upon based on the proposed sites.
On that basis, until such time as SDC concludes its Grey Belt Assessment work, carried out by independent planning consultants using the new Government criteria, we cannot support this proposal.
Due to specific use of Class B2/B8/E(g) this constitutes warehouse and distribution ensuing unacceptable levels of vehicular movement which will result in inconvenience to local residents in respect of noise, pollution, travel distribution particularly during peak periods, although no actual times of operation have been mentioned within the outline planning application.
There are significant pollution levels already at the junction of Birchwood Road and London Road. AQMA No.14 has already indicated an annual mean exceedance of nitrogen dioxide gas. We await Kent County Council Highways response in respect of essential traffic management.
We fully support the objections placed by local residents and their comments should be noted.
25/01176/FUL 14A High Street Swanley Kent BR8 8BE – COMMENTS DUE BY 25/06/2025
Change of Use from C4 Shared HMO into C3 2 x Self Contained Flats.
NO OBJECTION – We are disappointed to see only one car parking space allocated.
25/01416/HOUSE Greenwood Lodge Birchwood Road Swanley Kent BR8 7QA –COMMENTS DUE BY 25/06/2025
Loft conversion with one front and three rear dormer. New front rooflights, front extension, internal alterations. Alteration to fenestration and landscaping.
NO OBJECTION
12479 DECISIONS MADE BY PLANNING AUTHORITY
25/00740/HOUSE 10 Dale Road Swanley Kent
Porch and side extension.
GRANTED – STC COMMENT – NO OBJECTION 24/04/2025
25/01137/HOUSE 53 Dahlia Drive Swanley Kent
Replace existing conservatory roof with a solid panel roof.
GRANTED – STC COMMENT – NO OBJECTION 16/05/2025
DATE OF NEXT MEETING – 2nd July 2025
MEETING CLOSED: 19:21
SIGNED: 02/07/2025
Cllr G Darrington
Chair of Development Control
