Agenda item

PROPOSAL: Change of use of land to form an extension of existing caravan park to accommodate 110 caravans and associated parking, bin stores, hardscaping and landscaping.

 

Mr John Elvidge spoke in favour of the application.

 

Mr Graham Elliott spoke against the application.

 

Councillor Guy Wilson spoke on the behalf of Manston Parish Council.

 

Councillor Bambridge spoke under Council Procedure Rule 20.1.

 

It was proposed by the Chair and seconded by the Vice-Chair:

 

THAT the officer’s recommendation to approve the application be adopted for the following reasons:

 

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

 

GROUND:

In accordance with Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by Section 51 of the Planning and Purchase Act 2004).

 

2)  The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans drawing nos: 23.1768.PL003 Revision C (received 01/03/24), 23.1768.PL004 Revision A, 23.1768.PL005 Revision A, 23.1768.PL006, 23.1768.PL007 Revision A (received 15/02/24), 23.1768.PL011 (received 15/02/24) and Figure 06 Rev C.

 

GROUND:

To secure the proper development of the area.

 

3)  The caravan holiday homes (static and touring) shall be occupied for holiday purposes only. No caravan (static or touring) shall be occupied as a person's sole or main place of residence.

 

GROUND:

To safeguard against permanent residential use of the units to ensure the continued availability of holiday accommodation in the area, in accordance with Thanet Local Plan E08.

 

4)  The operators of the caravan park shall maintain an up-to date register of the names of all owners/ occupiers of individual caravan holiday homes (static and touring) on the site, and of their main home addresses and shall make this information available at all reasonable times to the Local Planning Authority.

 

GROUND:

To safeguard against permanent residential use of the units to ensure the continued availability of holiday accommodation in the area, in accordance with Thanet Local Plan policy E01.

 

5)  The area shown on the approved plan for vehicle parking and manoeuvring areas, shall be kept available for such use at all times and such land and access thereto shall be provided prior to the first occupation of each phase of the development hereby permitted.

 

GROUND:

To provide satisfactory off street parking for vehicles in accordance with Policy TP06 of the Thanet Local Plan and the advice contained within the NPPF.

 

6)  The development hereby permitted shall incorporate measures to prevent the discharge of surface water onto the highway.

 

GROUND:

In the interests of highway safety, in accordance with the advice contained within the NPPF.

 

7)  Prior to the first occupation of each phase of the development hereby permitted details the cycle parking as shown on the approved plans shall be provided and thereafter retained.

 

GROUND:

To promote cycling as an alternative form of transport, in accordance with Policy TP03 and SP43 of the Thanet Local Plan.

 

8)  Prior to the commencement of any development on site details to include the following shall be submitted to and approved by the Local Planning Authority and should be carried out in accordance with the approved details.

a)  Routing of construction and delivery vehicles to / from site

b)  Parking and turning areas for construction and delivery vehicles and site personnel

c)  Timing of deliveries

d)  Provision of wheel washing facilities

e)  Temporary traffic management / signage

 

GROUND:

In the interests of highway safety and neighbouring amenity, in accordance with Policy QD03 of the Thanet Local Plan and the advice contained within the NPPF.

 

9)  Prior to the first use of each phase of the development hereby approved, the Electric vehicle charging points (EVCP) as shown on the approved plans shall be provided. The EVCP shall be maintained and kept in good working order thereafter as specified by the manufacturer.

 

GROUND:

To protect air quality, in accordance with Policy SE05 of the Thanet Local Plan and the advice as contained within the NPPF.

 

10)No development shall take place on each phase until details of the means of foul and surface water disposal, including details of the implementation, management and maintenance of any proposed Sustainable urban Drainage Systems, have been submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The development shall be carried out in accordance with such details as are agreed and thereafter maintained.

 

GROUND:

To protect the district's groundwater, and to ensure the development is served by satisfactory arrangements for the disposal of surface water, in accordance with Policies SE04 and CC02 of the Thanet Local Plan and advice contained within the NPPF.

 

11)Prior to commencement of each phase of works (including site clearance), a construction ecological management plan (CEMP - biodiversity) will be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority. The CEMP - biodiversity will be based on the recommendations in section 11 of the Native Ecology (November 2023) Preliminary Ecological Appraisal report and include the following:

a)  Risk assessment of potentially damaging construction activities;

b)  Identification of 'biodiversity protection zones';

c)  Use of protective fences, exclusion barriers and warning signs.

d)  Practical measures (both physical measures and sensitive working practises) to avoid or reduce impacts during construction (may be provided as a set of species or habitat-specific method statements);

e)  The location and timing of sensitive works to avoid harm to biodiversity features;

f)  The times during construction when specialist ecologists need to be present on site to oversee works;

g)  Details of any necessary protected species licences and reference to any other relevant documents e.g., Arboricultural Method Statement;

h)  Timetable for implementation demonstrating that works are aligned with the proposed phasing of development;

i)  Responsible persons and lines of communication;

j)  The role and responsibilities on site of an ecological clerk of works (ECoW) or similarly competent person, and;

 k)  The approved CEMP - biodiversity will be adhered to and implemented throughout the construction period in accordance with the approved details.

 

GROUND:

In the interests of the visual amenities of the area, biodiversity enhancement, and to adequately integrate the development into the environment in accordance with Policies QD02, SP30 and GI04 of the Thanet Local Plan.

 

12)Prior to commencement of each phase of works (including site clearance), an Ecological Design Strategy (EDS) will be submitted to, and approved in writing by, the Local Planning Authority. The EDS shall demonstrate (can be qualitatively following judgement by a suitably qualified ecologist) how the development will produce a biodiversity net gain. The EDS shall include the following:

a)  Purpose and conservation objectives for the proposed works;

b)  Review of site potential and constraints;

c)  Detailed design(s) and/or working method(s) to achieve stated objectives;

d)  Extent and location/area of proposed works on appropriate scale maps and plans;

e)  Type and source of materials to be used where appropriate, e.g. native species of local provenance;

f)  Timetable for implementation demonstrating that works are aligned with the proposed phasing of development;

g)  Persons responsible for implementing the works;

h)  Details of initial aftercare and long-term maintenance (including management prescriptions for achieving aims and objectives, and a work schedule capable of being rolled forwards); and

i)  Details for monitoring and remedial measures.

j) The EDS shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details and all features shall be retained thereafter.

 

GROUND:

In the interests of the visual amenities of the area, biodiversity enhancement, and to adequately integrate the development into the environment in accordance with Policies QD02, SP30 and GI04 of the Thanet Local Plan.

 

When put to the vote the motion was LOST. 

 

The committee paused debate to enable officers to draft some wording for a new motion and the meeting was resumed.

 

Councillor Garner proposed and Councillor Matterface seconded the motion to REFUSE the planning application A01 F/TH/23/1559 - Preston Caravan Site, Preston Road, Ramsgate. The grounds for REFUSAL were as follows, that:

 

1.  The proposal, by virtue of its location and scale, would result in the loss of countryside and harm the characteristics of the Landscape Character Area, which are not outweighed by the economic, social or environmental benefits of the proposed development.  The application is, therefore, contrary to Policies SP24, SP26 and QD02 of the Thanet Local Plan 2020 and paragraphs 135 and 180 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

2.  The proposed development would result in the irreversible loss of best and most versatile agricultural land. The proposal has failed to demonstrate that the benefits of the proposal would outweigh the harm arising from the loss of agricultural land. The proposal would therefore be contrary to Policy E16 of the Thanet Local Plan and paragraph 180 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

 

When put to the vote the motion for refusal was AGREED.