Delegated Decisions

This report lists appointments to outside bodies. The Leader has responsibility for overall strategy and leadership.   

1.         To receive and note Report C/20/17.

2.         To make the necessary appointments to the outside bodies for 2020/21 as set out in the report.

Reasons for Decision: The Leader is asked to agree the recommendations set out below because he needs to make the appointments to the outside bodies for 2020/21, acting under delegated powers, the Leader may make or change an appointment of the Council, to an outside body.

On 27 May 2020, Cabinet resolved in minute 6, report C/20/02- (amongst other matters) to enter into the members’ agreement for the Otterpool Park Limited Liability Partnership appended to report C/20/02 and that the Leader of the Council should appoint two Councillors to the board of the limited liability partnership (“the Board”) and three non – executive independent directors.  Furthermore, the minute stated that the six-month appointments of Andy Jarrett, Chief Strategic Development Officer and John Bunnett, Director of Development would be subject to reappointment on the formation of the full Board.

Interviews for the three non – executive independent director posts were held on 29 June 2020.

DECISION:

1.      To appoint Councillors Mrs Jennifer Hollingsbee and Rebecca Shoob to the Board.

2.      To appoint Dinah Roake, Luke Quilter and SallyAnne Logan to the Board for a term of four years at an annual remuneration of £10,000 pa.

3.      To appoint John Bunnett to the Board on a permanent basis.

4.      To appoint, as the Otterpool Park Development Company Ltd.’s nominee, Andy Jarrett to the Board on a permanent basis.

Reasons for decision:

The Leader is asked to agree because it is necessary to appoint to the Board in order that the limited liability partnership can commence work on the Otterpool Park Garden Town project.

This report sets out revised proposals for how Folkestone & Hythe will use the additional 5% ‘top-up’ to the funding for Small Business Grant (SBG) and Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant (RLHG) schemes allocated to local authorities for a discretionary COVID-19 business grant scheme

RESOLVED:

1.      To adopt the revised criteria set out in section 3 for the eligibility of grants awarded under the Folkestone & Hythe COVID-19 Discretionary Grant Scheme (DGS)

2.      To agree that the final decision to award a grant and any subsequent change to the eligibility criteria for this scheme be delegated to the Director of Place in consultation with the Leader.

REASONS FOR DECISION.

The Leader was asked to agree because the government requires local authorities to set out the approach and criteria to be adopted for making business grants and their district.

This report considers whether planning permission should be granted for removal of an existing care home and replacement with 3 residential dwellings.  The report recommends that planning permission be granted as it is considered that the loss of the care home would not have a detrimental impact upon the districts care provision as the facility no longer meets the required standards and the facility has been marketed in accordance with policy HB11 of the Places and Policies Local Plan.  The report considers that the 3 proposed dwellings would be acceptable in terms of the design and visual appearance, impact upon neighbouring and future occupant’s amenity, ecology, flood risk and highway safety.

Defer to seek amendments.  Delegated powers given to Strategic Development Manager to determine following the reconsultation on the amended plans. 

If no amended plans received or applicants decline to provide, the application to come back to Chief Planning Officer to determine and to agree and finalise the wording of the conditions and add any other conditions that she considers necessary.

This report considers whether planning permission should be granted for the increase in length (approximately 980mm) and changes to the design (layout of steps and increase in length of supporting framework) of the elevated decking area to the rear of the host property. Elevated decking was approved in July 2014 under planning reference Y14/0651/SH. The report recommends that planning permission should be granted with conditions as it considered that the amenities of the neighbours to the rear would not be significantly compromised over and above the impact that would have resulted from the original consent.

Defer to seek amendments.  Delegated powers given to Strategic Development Manager to determine following the reconsultation on the amended plans and to agree and finalise the wording of the conditions and add any other conditions that she considers necessary.

If no amended plans received or applicants decline to provide, the application to come back to Chief Planning Officer to determine.

Planning permission is sought for the erection of a single-storey rear extension and a pitched roof over the existing front garage projection. The proposal is considered acceptable with regard to all relevant material planning considerations, including design and appearance, residential amenity and highways issues. The development complies with all current development plan policies and the application is recommended for approval on this basis.

That planning permission be granted subject to the conditions set out at the end of the report and that delegated authority be given to the Strategic Development Manager to agree and finalise the wording of the conditions and add any other conditions that she considers necessary.

Reasons for decision:

1. The development must be begun within three years of the date of this permission.

Reason:

As required by Section 91 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as

amended).

2. The development hereby permitted shall not be carried out except in complete

accordance with the details shown on the submitted plans, OS extract and drawing

number 19/34 – 2 received 6th November 2019.

Reason:

For the avoidance of doubt and in order to ensure the satisfactory implementation of

the development in accordance with the aims of saved policy SD1 of the Local Plan

Review.

3. The development hereby approved shall be carried out in complete accordance with the details of materials as specified in the application, unless otherwise agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority.

Reason:

To ensure the appropriate appearance of the completed development and in the

interests of visual amenity.

This application seeks planning permission for the erection of a two-storey detached dwelling with basement within the grounds of another property, known as ‘Shepway’. The site is located outside of any established settlement boundary within the open countryside and is also within a designated Special Landscape Area and within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Given that the dwelling would be set away from local amenities, without easy access to sustainable transport modes, the site is considered to be unsuitable and an unsustainable location for a new dwelling as future occupiers would be reliant on private motor vehicle use to carry out day to day activities. In addition, the erection of a two-storey dwelling in this location would result in the erosion of the rural character of the area, detracting from the tranquil beauty of the wider Special Landscape Area and Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are no public benefits to the application that would outweigh these concerns and on balance it is considered that the scheme would be unacceptable with regard to local and national planning policy. The application is therefore recommended for refusal.

1.         That planning permission be refused for the reason(s) set out at the end of the Report subject to a change to wording of reason for refusal no. 2 and delegated powers to the Strategic Development Manager to make this change.

Reasons for decision:

1. The application site, being a significant distance from an existing settlement

boundary or local amenities, in the absence of access to sustainable transport

modes, or safe routes for pedestrians represents an unsustainable location for a new

dwelling. As a result the occupiers of the proposed dwelling would rely on car

movements to access all amenities. No demonstration of an essential need for the

dwelling within the countryside has been submitted and as such the proposal is

contrary to saved policies SD1 and CO1 of the Shepway District Council Local Plan

Review, policies DSD, SS1, SS3 and CSD3 of the Shepway Core strategy and the

NPPF which seek to direct new residential development towards existing settlements

and sustainable locations.

2. The proposal fails to conserve, protect or enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Kent Downs as a Special Landscape Area and the countryside in which the site is located. The proposal would result in significant harm to the local character and distinctiveness of the AONB, SLA and this part of the countryside by introducing built development into the garden area of an existing dwelling, unrelated to any existing settlement, and would be very apparent from the street, consolidating the sporadic residential development in the locality and increasing urbanisation of the rural area and further intrusion into the Hythe Escarpment local character area. The proposal is contrary to saved policies SD1 and CO4 of the Shepway District Council Local Plan Review, policies DSD and CSD4 of the Shepway Core strategy and paragraph 170 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

The application seeks retrospective planning permission for the erection of a suspended car parking area which projects outwards from the hillside, along with some proposed amendments to the design.  Its scale, design, and appearance is considered to be harmful to the character of the area, the character and appearance of the Sandgate conservation area and the designated Area of Special Character, and contrary to local and national planning policy.  The application is therefore recommended for refusal.

Planning Permission Approved subject to conditions above and delegated power given to the Strategic Development Manager to add any further conditions that she considered to be necessary and reasonable.

This report sets out proposals for how Folkestone & Hythe will use the additional 5% ‘top-up’ to the funding for Small Business Grant (SBG) and Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant (RLHG) schemes allocated to local authorities for a discretionary COVID-19 business grant scheme.

DECISION:

1.    To adopt the criteria and approach for the Folkestone & Hythe COVID-19 Discretionary Grant Scheme (DGS) as set out in this report.

2.    To adopt the criteria set out section 3 for the level of grant awarded under the Folkestone & Hythe COVID-19 Discretionary Grant Scheme (DGS)

3.    To agree that the final decision to award a grant be delegated to the Director of Place in consultation with the Leader.

Reasons for decision:

The Leader is asked to agree because the government requires local authorities to set out the approach and criteria to be adopted for making business grants and their district.