Change of use from grazing land to practice facilities for The Knole Park Golf Club, to include practice tee, fairway bunker, practice putting and chipping green

The proposal was to change the use of a part of the open agricultural, grazing land directly to the north of the Golf Club buildings and car park into a practice area. The practice area would involve the creation of a practice tee and practice ground along with a practice putting green and chipping green.

The site was situated just outside the edge of Sevenoaks Town Centre, within the Metropolitan Green Belt in the north-west corner of Knole Park. Much of the golf club was located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty but the grazing land subject to the application was sited outside the AONB.

Officers considered that the proposal represented appropriate development within the Green Belt and would not detract from its openness, in accordance with NPPF. The development would not detract from the character and appearance of the existing site or wider landscape, nor have a detrimental impact upon the amenities of any neighbours, the biodiversity of the site, nor upon highway safety or the nearby public right of way.

Members’ attention was drawn to the tabled Late Observations sheet.

The Committee was addressed by the following speakers:

Against the Application:       Roger Perkins

For the Application:              Paul Bailey

Parish Representative:         -

Local Member:                      Cllr. Mrs. Purves

As clarification the speaker on behalf of the applicant informed the Committee that the golf club had between 500 and 550 members. The enhanced facilities were to maintain existing membership levels. The practice tee would be 44m wide and could take 10 golfers at a time.

Officers responded to Members’ questions. Although the application site was comparable to an application which was refused on the site in 2005 the previous scheme involved more ground works and included not only practice tees but 5 practice holes. The NPPF considered provision of outdoor sports and recreation facilities as an appropriate form of development in the Green Belt and this did not make a distinction between public and private use.

It was MOVED by the Chairman and was duly seconded that the recommendation in the report to grant permission subject to conditions be adopted.

Members did raise concerns that the development would have a detrimental impact upon the pair of breeding skylarks, a protected species, found on site.

It was noted that the land was not prime agricultural land. Concern was also raised that development may change the nature of the site but it was suggested by others that the land set aside and land used for wild seed mix would not be so different. The wild area may shield some views of the mown area.

Noting the concerns of the local Member not on the Committee, the motion was altered to include an additional condition to prohibit the installation of netting. An informative would be added clarifying that the Committee did not consider that advertisements would be appropriate for the site.

Members also wanted to ensure that the wild area would endure.

The motion was put to the vote and there voted –

10 votes in favour of the motion

4 votes against the motion

Resolved: That planning permission be GRANTED subject to the following conditions:-

1)         The development hereby permitted shall be begun before the expiration of three years from the date of this permission.

In pursuance of section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

2)         The landscaping scheme as shown on drawing KPGC-p-203 and detailed in section 7.2-7.23 of the submitted Habitat Survey and Management Strategy (including Figure 2) shall be implemented prior to the use hereby permitted be carried out, unless as otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

3)         If within a period of five years from the completion of the development, any of the trees or plants that form part of the approved details of soft landscaping die, are removed or become seriously damaged or diseased then they shall be replaced in the next planting season with others of similar size and species.

To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

4)         No external lighting shall be installed on the land at any time.

To protect the openness of the Green Belt and the character of the landscape as supported by Policies EN1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

5)         No machinery to be used in the maintenance of the practise area or driving range or to collect golf balls shall be used between the hours of 1900 and 0800 the following day.

To protect the living conditions which the occupiers of near by dwellings can expect to enjoy, as supported by Policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

6)         The practice area and driving range shall only be used by members of the Knole Park Golf Club and not for any other commercial purposes.

In the interests of highways safety and vehicle parking, as supported by Policy VH1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

7)         The works hereby permitted shall be carried out outside the core breeding period for birds (March to August inclusive) as recommended by para 5.5.2 of the submitted Habitat Survey and Management Strategy. As recommended, should this timeframe be unobtainable, a thorough search for the presence of breeding birds should be conducted by a suitably experienced ecologist prior to the start of works. Should evidence of breeding birds be recorded, works within 5m of the nest, or works that has potential to destroy the nest, should stop until the eggs have hatched and the chicks fledged, or the nest is deemed by a suitably experienced ecologist to have been abandoned.

In the interests of conserving the biodiversity of the site.

8)         The ecological enhancements detailed in section 7.2-7.23 of the submitted Habitat Survey and Management Strategy (including Figure 2) shall be implemented prior to the use hereby permitted be carried out.

In the interests of conserving the biodiversity of the site.

9)         The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: KPGC-p-201/202/203/204

For the avoidance of doubt and in the interests of proper planning.

10)       No development shall be carried out on the land until the applicant, or their agents or successors in title, has secured the implementation of a "watching brief".  This shall be undertaken by an archaeologist approved in writing by the Council so that the excavation is observed and items of interest and finds are recorded.  The watching brief shall be in accordance with a written specification and timetable which has been submitted to and approved in writing by the Council.

To investigate and record archaeological features as supported by Policy EN25A of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

11)       No netting shall be installed on the land at any time.

To protect the openness of the Green Belt and the character of the landscape as supported by Policies EN1 of the Sevenoaks District Local Plan.

Informatives

1)         The granting of planning permission confers no other permission or consent on the applicant. It is therefore important to advise the applicant that no works can be undertaken on a Public Right of Way without the express consent of the Highways Authority. In cases of doubt the applicant should be advised to contact this office before commencing any works that may affect the Public Right of Way.

Should any temporary closures be required to ensure public safety then this office will deal on the basis that:

-           The applicant pays for the administration costs

-           The duration of the closure is kept to a minimum

-           Alternative routes will be provided for the duration of the closure.

-           A minimum of six weeks notice is required to process any applications for temporary closures.

This means that the Public Right of Way must not be stopped up, diverted, obstructed (this includes any building materials, constructor's vehicles or waste generated during any of the construction phases) or the surface disturbed.

There must be no encroachment on the current width, at any time now or in future and no furniture or fixtures may be erected on or across Public Rights of Way without consent. It is suggested that any planting is done at least one metre back from the footpath boundary so there is room for plants to be kept trimmed back.

It should be noted that the public using the footpath on foot have the priority over any vehicular traffic using the rights of way under their private rights as agents of the landowner. Therefore signage needs to warn drivers of their need to give way to and be aware that the public are using the path as pedestrians, rather than pedestrians having to be aware of vehicles and give way to them.

2)         The applicant is advised that any advertisements placed on the site are unlikely to be acceptable.