Planning Roundup 16 Feb

Unfortunately having a job, a bizarre desire to attend council meetings and something approaching a social life means that there is only limited time I can really write and / or post.


With that in mind, here is a roundup of recent goings on in the Development Control Committee.

Holiday Village Application ‘Marshes’ Through Planning (apologies)

Romney Marsh Sands Holiday Village was granted permission to allow an additional 15 static caravans onsite. In addition, guests can now be onsite from March 1 to January 3, an extension of previous rules which allowed occupancy until October.

Concerns were raised by Natural England that users of the holiday village might access the nearby Site of Special Interest and Special Area of Conservation. Residents raised concerns over noise, and also alleged that the applicants had a poor record of complying with conditions.

Nevertheless, permission was granted subject to several conditions, including improvements to boundary fencing with Cllr Goddard referring to the park as ‘an excellent neighbour’ and Cllr Tillson expressing delight at ‘all that lovely council tax’

Application To Change Sustainable Business Model Refused

The proposal that a unit of ‘The Byre,’ a live in and work in unit promoted as a model of sustainable community could be separated and sub-let was rejected by the Development Control Committee, despite being recommended by planners.

Postling Parish Councillor P Hobbs was listed as speaking on the application, yet spoke only of objections. Highlighting concerns that the principle of the development was under threat and that it was unsustainable to have all occupants and visitors driving to the site.

District and County Councillor Susan Carey spoke against the application as a ward member, emphasising the need to keep to the original concept that would bring the village back to life again and expressed concerns that the experiment would fail. Neither Mr Hobbs nor Ms Carey are members of the Committee.

Most councillors on the committee agreed that the concept was good and should be protected. Cllr MacNeice noted other applicants had previously applied for a similar change, showing the concept was ‘social history.’ Saying ‘that was then and this is now,’ the change should be allowed he failed to get a seconder when proposing the application approved passed.

Cllr Jan Holben said she initially thought the application should be approved, but had been persuaded by Cllr Carey’s speech that the ‘concept was a good concept and I would definitely go for refusal now.’

Cllr Goddard appeared to have undergone some form of ‘micro-business’ conversion, commenting that it is important ‘to keep small places special and try and preserve them as much as we can.’ Cllr Goddard previously voted to approve the Sainsbury’s development on the Smith’s Medical site, saying he had not seen any ill effects from the Sainsbury’s store in New Romney.

In the same meeting Cllr Tillson had described the effects of New Romney’s Sainsbury’s on New Romney high street as ‘deleterious’.

Planning Chief Carl Lewis cautioned that ‘I can’t promise we will win an appeal but I think we will have a good case.’