Agenda and minutes

Members of the Committee and Officers introduced themselves to all those who were present during the meeting.     

Apologies had been received from Councillor Amanda Morris, and absence was noted for Councillor Anita Mayes.

No declarations of interest were made at the meeting.    

The Chair to notify the Committee of any items of urgent business to be added to the agenda.

There were no urgent items.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 March 2024 were submitted and approved as a correct record, and the Chair was authorised to sign them. 

Where additional information has been received by Planning Officers subsequent to the publication of the agenda, a supplementary report will be added to this item and published on the Council’s website the day before the meeting to update the main reports with any late information.

An officer addendum was circulated to the Committee prior to the start of the meeting, updating the main reports on the agenda with any late information (a copy of which was published on the Council’s website).

The business of the meeting was reordered from the agenda and taken in the following order:  Items 9, 10, 8 and 11.

Erection of 1no. 3 x bedroom dwelling – RATTON.

The Head of Development Management (HDM) presented the report. 

The Committee was advised by way of the Addendum that no further representations had been received following completion of the Committee report.

Jay Shah, resident, spoke in objection to the application. Kevin Langley, Agent, spoke on behalf of the applicant in support of the application. Councillor Belsey, Ward Councillor, addressed the Committee in objection to the application.

Councillor Vaughan put forward a proposal in line with the officer’s recommendation, subject to obtaining a Stopping Up Order, which would be secured by condition. This was seconded by Councillor Sayers-Cooper.

RESOLVED: by (4 votes to 2 against) that the application be granted subject to the conditions in the Officer’s report.

Conversion of existing house into 3no. flats (2no one-bed and 1no two-bed) and the erection of 2no one-bed houses (amended scheme received 20 March 2023) – ST. ANTHONYS.

The Head of Development Management presented the report. 

The Committee was advised by way of the Addendum that a consultation response had been received since the officer report from East Sussex County Council, Local Highway Authority (LHA), and an amended parking layout had been received and passed to the LHA for review and comment.  The addendum included a revision to the officer’s recommendation that should the application be approved with conditions, that delegated authority be provided to the Head of Development Management to ensure that the LHA do not raise any objections on highway safety grounds to the visibility splay for the proposed parking.

Skender Ademi, resident, spoke in objection to the application. Shahid Hussain, Architect, spoke in support of the application.

Councillor Lamb put forward a proposal in line with the officer’s recommendation and the amended recommendation set out in the Addendum.  This was seconded by Councillor Ansell and was carried.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously) that delegated authority be provided to the Head of Development Management to liaise with the Local Highways Authority to ensure no objections are raised on highway safety grounds.  Upon conclusion, to grant the application subject to the conditions in the Officer’s report.

The Senior Planning Policy Officer (SPPO) presented the report to seek approval to implement a non-immediate Article 4 Direction to withdraw permitted development rights associated with changes of use from class C3 (Dwellinghouses) to class C4 (Houses in Multiple Occupation), within a designated area which included the wards of Devonshire, Meads and Upperton and a small area of St Anthony’s.  The SPPO advised that the boundary of the Article 4 Direction could be revisited in future, if there were shown to be negative impacts of HMOs on local amenity in other areas.   The SPPO explained the process for consultation and implementation of the Direction and advised that a planning policy for assessment and determination of HMO applications would be being developed to the same timescale.  

Councillor Smart spoke in relation to the report.

Councillor Vaughan put forward a proposal in line with the officer’s recommendation.  This was seconded by Councillor Lamb and was put to a vote and carried.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

1.    That the Planning Committee authorises the making of a non-immediate direction under Article 4 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) to remove the permitted development rights for the change the use from a building and any land within its curtilage from a use falling within Class C3 (Dwellinghouse) of the Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) (England) Order to a use falling within Class C4 (House in Multiple Occupation) of that Schedule being development comprised within class L(b) of Part 3 of Schedule 2 to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) within the area identified in Appendix 1; and

2.    That the Planning Committee notes that notice given for the Article 4 Direction will be made as soon as practical following approval by Planning Committee and consultation on the Article 4 Direction will take place for an eight-week period between Friday 2^nd August and Friday 27^th September 2024.

Reasons: To mitigate the impacts of HMOs by requiring proposals for changes of use from class C3 to class C4 within the designated area to apply to the local planning authority for planning permission, and allowing these applications to be determined in accordance with local plan policies and other material planning considerations; and to meet the requirements of Schedule 3 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 in respect of the procedure for article 4(1) directions without immediate effect.

Installation of a 3G synthetic turf pitch, carpark extension and landscaping works - DEVONSHIRE

The Head of Development Management (HDM) presented the report. The Committee was reminded that the application had been reported to the Planning Committee in July 2023 and was approved subject to the delegation of certain matters to Officers to conclude.  Following a discrepancy on the hours of use between those agreed prior to the meeting with the applicant, and those presented at the Committee meeting, the full and complete hours of use were presented to the Committee for transparency and for noting.

The Committee was advised by way of the Addendum that there were no further updates.

RESOLVED: That the Planning Committee notes the report.

To note the next meeting of the Planning Committee is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, 20 August 2024.

It was noted that the next meeting of the Planning Committee was scheduled to commence at 6:00pm on Tuesday, 20 August 2024.