Planning Matters

Just as conservative leader of Swale Council, Andrew Bowles pushes through new motorway junction and A2/M2 link road to support the Kent Science Park greater expansion proposals, Ex KCC Cabinet Member for Highways and current conservative KCC Councillor for Swale West drops the bombshell that it won't solve any of Sittingbourne's traffic problems.

During the planning application for the Kent Science Park, Cllr Bowles instructed members of the planning committee to ignore any comments and evidence given by members of the public as they are not professionally qualified.

Having now reviewed the new documents provided by the applicant in the very limited timeframe afforded by the Borough Council, Bapchild Parish Council’s position remains unchanged. The applicant has not demonstrated either the need to expand beyond the security fence or that such an expansion could satisfactorily be accommodated by the existing rural highways whatever traffic mitigation is being proposed.

This weekend I took part in the consultation exercise on the future plans for Swale which is being conducted in order to formulate the basis of Borough Councils plans for the next 20 years.

Hempstead House has been refused retrospective permission for the non-illiuminated banner sign which it had displayed in a private property on the corner of Pantney Lane and the A2. The sign by virtue of its promient location,size, materials used, design and amount of text would have a detrimental impact of the visual amenities of the surrounding area and the character of the surrounding countryside and would be distracting to passing motorists to the detriment of highway safety.

The plans for the Village Hall extension have been approved.

An application for a 4 Ha expansion beyond the security fence has been submitted by the owners of the Kent Science Park. Given the precedent this application would create for the larger expansion proposals, including the massive housings numbers proposed for Bapchild, the Parish Council has decided to object.

The application for four additional classrooms, additional parking and remodelling of the existing school buildings is to go before KCC's planning application committee next week.

A decision has been made by Swale Borough Council to take enforcement action on three of the four stables illegally located on Stones Farm, requiring removal of the field shelters/stables from the land within three months of the Notice taking effect.

The Parish Council have visited the school to discuss the proposed extension plans for new permanent buildings to replace the current mobiles, and the citing of a further temporary mobile classroom to accommodate the Owl & Pussycat Preschool who will be moving from their present location in the village hall.