Planning Committee
MINUTES of a meeting of the Planning Committee held at County Hall, Lewes on 10 March 2021.
PRESENT Councillors Richard Stogdon (Chair), Barry Taylor (Vice Chair), Bob Bowdler, Godfrey Daniel, Kathryn Field, Tom Liddiard and Pat Rodohan
18 Minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2020
18.1 The Committee approved as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2020.
19 Disclosures of interests
19.1 Councillor Richard Stogdon declared a personal interest in Item 5, in that he is an acquaintance of the applicant and his family, so he withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.
20 Reports
20.1 Reports referred to in the minutes below are contained in the minute book.
21 Waste transfer and recycling station, and extension of hardstanding (retrospective). Dunly Wood, Mayfield Road, Cross in Hand, Heathfield, TN21 0GF - WD/847/CM
21.1 Councillor Richard Stogdon withdrew from the meeting and Councillor Barry Taylor took the chair for this agenda item.
21.2 The Committee considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
21.3 Ms Debbie Marriage, agent for the applicant, spoke against the recommendation for refusal of the application.
21.4 The Committee has considered the officer’s report and the comments of the public speaker and unanimously agree with the conclusions and reasons for the recommendation set out in paragraph 7 of the report.
21.5 The Committee RESOLVED to refuse planning permission and to authorise the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport to take appropriate enforcement action in consultation with the Assistant Chief Executive to require the cessation of the use of the site as a waste transfer and recycling station and for the removal of all plant, equipment and materials associated with the waste use for the following reasons:
1. The development is a large scale waste recycling facility located outside of an Area of Focus within the High Weald AONB and not on previously developed land. The site of the development is not within a sustainable location and conflicts with Policies WMP7a and WMP7b of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Plan 2013 which seek to identify sustainable locations for waste recycling facilities.
2. The development is located in the High Weald AONB and set within ancient woodland. The development is industrial in nature and does not conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the AONB, thereby conflicting with Policy WMP27a of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Plan 2013, Saved Policy EN6 of the Wealden District Local Plan 1998, paragraph 172 of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019 and Objectives W1 and W2 of the High Weald AONB Management Plan 2019.
3. The development occupies part of an area of ancient woodland and has caused damage to it and there have been no adequate assessments of the potential effects of the development on this habitat or on protected species, thereby conflicting with Policy WMP27b of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Plan 2013, Policy WCS12 of the Wealden District Core Strategy Local Plan 2013, Saved Policy EN13 of the Wealden District Local Plan 1998 and paragraph 175(c) of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019.
4. The development does not provide enough space for the parking of vehicles, as the parking of cars takes place outside the application site boundary and within the ancient woodland, thereby conflicting with Policies WMP26(e) and WMP27b of the East Sussex, South Downs and Brighton & Hove Waste and Minerals Plan 2013, Policy WCS12 of the Wealden District Core Strategy Local Plan 2013, Saved Policy EN13 of the Wealden District Local Plan 1998 and paragraph 175(c) of the National Planning Policy Framework 2019.
The meeting ended at 11.10 am.