Permanent erection of polytunnels at the land at Salmans Farm, with associated landscaping and ecological enhancements.

The Chairman allowed reading time of the late observations.

The proposal sought permanent erection of polytunnels at the land at Salmans Farm, with associated landscaping and ecological enhancements.Members’ attention was brought to the main agenda papers and late observation sheet which gave further information, made amendments to the report text and recommended conditions and additional conditions.

The Committee was addressed by the following speakers:

Against the Application:    Tony Jacouris

For the Application:          Thomas Ogden (Agent)

Parish Representative:      Andrew Campbell (Penshurst)

                                      Richard Streatfeild (Chiddingstone)

Local Member:                 Cllr. Coleman

Members had no questions of clarification for the speakers.  Members did ask questions of clarification from the officers. Members were advised that it would not be appropriate to grant a third temporary planning permission as the purpose of a temporary permission was to assess any impact and therefore arguably there was no justification for a further temporary permission after 13 years.  Assessment of the impact was judged at the time of the last renewal of the temporary permission.  This included considerations such as whether any complaints had been received, any enforcement action etc.  Officers could not recall any enforcement action in relation to the polytunnels on this site.

It was moved by the Chairman and duly seconded that the recommendations within the report as amended by the late observations, be agreed.

Members debated the item in full and discussed the usefulness of the site visit to assess operational and visual impact.  It was acknowledged to be a difficult decision, assessing the visual impact on an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) against the economic, social and environmental benefits arising from the scheme. The public response both for and against was also considered. 

The motion was put to the vote and it was

Resolved:  That planning permission be granted subject to the following conditions

1)   The gross area of fields, outlined in red on approved plan no. 02, containing polytunnels shall not exceed 15 hectares.

      To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

2)   The polytunnels structures hereby permitted shall not be covered other than between 1st March to 1st November of each calendar year. Outside of the time periods specified above the polythene or any other covering used shall be removed from the frames and stored.

      To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

3)   None of the polytunnels hereby permitted shall exceed 4.3m in height from existing ground level.

      To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

4)   Vehicular access to the site shall be by vehicles no larger than a Class 5 coach and transport of produce shall be by vehicles having a maximum gross weight of no more than 7.5 tonnes.

      In the interests of highway and pedestrian safety as supported by policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

5)   Other than in the event of emergency, there shall be no access into the site other than from the designated vehicular access and parking area at the eastern end of the site. There shall be no access into the site from the trackway adjacent to the south-eastern edge of the site (leading to Salmans Farm Cottages and beyond).

      In the interests of highway safety and the residential amenities of neighbouring occupiers as supported by policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

6)   Three months after the permanent cessation of the use of the polytunnels for growing soft fruit, all polytunnels and associated equipment and plant shall be removed from the site. The site shall be made good in accordance with a programme of restoration works which shall have been submitted to and approved by in writing by the local planning authority three months prior to the permanent cessation of the use of the polytunnels for growing soft fruit. The restoration works shall be carried out in complete accordance with the approved details.

To safeguard the visual appearance of the area as supported by Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

7)   Within six months of the date of this permission, a Verification Report relating to the on site surface water drainage system, shall have been carried out by a suitably qualified professional and submitted to the local planning authority. The report shall contain information and evidence (including photographs) of improvements implemented within the existing drainage system in accordance with recommendations within the Drainage Strategy and SuDS Management and Maintenance Plan prepared by Monson (September 2017) and shall be maintained for the duration of the use of the polytunnels on the site hereby permitted.

      To ensure that flood risks from development to neighbouring land are minimised, together with those to controlled waters, property and ecological systems, and to ensure that the development as constructed is compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework.

8)   The habitat/landscape management of the site shall be maintained in accordance with the details as shown in Sections 5- 7 and appendix 3 of the submitted Ecological Management Plan dated July 2017 for the duration of the use of polytunnels on the site hereby permitted.

      To promote biodiversity as supported by Policy EN1 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan and policy SP11 of the Sevenoaks Core Strategy.

9)   The proposed soft landscaping measures as recommended in the submitted Landscape Assessment Review dated March 2017, shall be carried out in the first planting season following the date of this permission for the polytunnels. If within a period of five years from the completion of the works, 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 Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

10) The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans: 01, 02, 10

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

11) No external lighting shall be installed on the site or affixed to any buildings on the site unless the local planning authority has approved in writing details of the position, height, beam angle, design, measures to control light spillage and intensity of illumination. Only the approved details shall be installed and maintained thereafter.

In order to safeguard the visual amenity of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in accordance with Policies EN1, EN5 of the Sevenoaks Allocations and Development Management Plan.

Informative

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.