Same old decision on gypsy plan ...despite new policy hope


MAIDSTONE Council has accepted a gypsy application for Amsbury Road in Coxheath, having previously turned down three ap- plications for individual houses on the site in the past decade. The borough had even, back in 1983, re-


fused a proposal for a horse stable on land adjacent to Amsbury Cottage. But the plan- ning committee felt that the prospect of los- ing on appeal meant it had no choice but to allow a gypsy family to station a static and touring caravan on the site, much to the frustration of objectors. Councillor John Hughes from Coxheath Parish Council noted that a planning in- spector stated on refusing an application for a detached home and garage in 2005 that the new development would cause “demon- strable harm” to the Special Landscape Area. “This judgement is relevant and pri-


GYPSIES at two adjacent Sta- plehurst sites have been refused in their bid to stay permanently. Frank Uden and Jimmy Brazil wanted long-term security to re- main at Blue Bell Farm and The Paddocks, both along George Street, and they received back- ing from planning officers after proposing to reduce the amount of hardstanding, as well as the present total of caravans from 12 to eight. But the planning committee


ority should be given to landscape over other considerations,” he said. Peter Court, representing objectors from


Coxheath and Hunton, further noted that the Government had come up with a recent statement outlining its intention to replace Circular 01/06 - the Government policy that allows gypsies to set up home in the open countryside. But committee member Cllr Clive English


said: “It’s been said we should refuse plan- ning consent, but that would short-change the public and promise them something that we would not be able to defend at ap- peal.


“Planning guidance is quite clear that


where harm can be dealt with through the use of appropriate conditions, that is what we should do. The harm is not so great that it can’t be mitigated.


Council stands firm and restricts gypsy stay


decided only to renew the ex- isting temporary arrangement until June 2015 under the re- duced terms of the latest plan- ning application. This was despite the advice of


development control officer Rob Jarman, who said: “If the com- mittee votes for temporary per- mission, we will be saying there is clear and significant harm to the countryside, but if it was that significant the first applica- tion would have been refused.”


Gypsy conversion application A RETROSPECTIVE application has been lodged to convert agricultural land into a home for a gypsy family on land west of Horsehoes Paddock, Luck Lane, Chart Sutton. This involves the sta- tioning of two mobile homes, two touring cara- vans and the erection of two timber sheds.


Homes request AN application has been sub- mitted to site four mobile homes, four touring caravans and four brick-built amenity blocks for the use of four gypsy families at The Orchards, Snowey Track, off Park Lane, Boughton Monchelsea.


Polytunnel go-ahead THE siting of almost four hectares of polytunnels in Sut- ton Valence was accepted – provided the land remains used for fruit production. W.B. Chambers & Son was granted permission to retain 2.98 ha of polytunnels and add 0.98 ha of the structures at Oak- dene Farm, Maidstone Road. But Maidstone Council said


the structures must be removed if the land is not used for soft fruit production for more than two years in a row. The deci- sion statement, which added the further condition that poly- tunnels could only be sited from May to the end of July, said: “Permission has been granted only to meet the needs of agriculture and to avoid undue proliferation of poly- thene in the countryside.”


But Cllr Tony Harwood was undeterred and garnered sup- port from seven fellow commit- tee members to swing the vote. He said: “Once we make this a permanent permission we would be saying that this will never be countryside again. “The character of this location


is not one that could be tackled by a few extra shrubs and trees, which will probably be eaten by horses anyway. I want another temporary permission.”


Longer holidaystays requested THE owner of a holiday caravan site in Boughton Monchelsea wants his guests to stay longer. Henry Boswell was last September given plan-


Linton stables plan A PLAN has been submitted to erect five stables, hay store, mess room and tack room on a gypsy site in Linton. The earmarked land, which is adjacent to the A229 in Stilebridge Lane, was earlier this year given planning permission for gypsy use.


ning permission to site 10 caravans at the Cherry Tree Park, Church Hill, on condition that the max- imum spell of occupancy is one month. One of the reasons was to prevent permanent occupa- tion, but Mr Boswell has sub- mitted an application to overturn this condition, claiming safeguards can be made to prevent this without restricting stays to one month. Maidstone Council will de- cide on the application.


Smith is school’s


new rugbychief PHIL Smith, an England Youth regional development officer and former Bristol player, has been appointed director of rugby at Sutton Valence School. He arrives from Birming-


ham’s King Edward VI Five Ways School where his teams achieved an 85% win record, won nine county cups and had a player se- lected for England U16s.


Farm owner’s large solar hope


THE owner of an East Farleigh farm wants to fur- ther underline his green credentials by installing 76 solar panels on an agricultural barn. In January, Peter Checkley became the first res-


ident of the borough to secure planning permis- sion for a wind turbine when he was allowed to erect a 31m-high bladed structure in Castle Farm, Heath Road. However, he was forced to shelve the plan due


to a number of legal covenants on the farm that later came to light. He now wants to re-establish the farm’s re- newable energy infrastructure by installing one of the borough’s largest residential solar photo- voltaic systems to a barn roof within the grounds of Castle Farm. His supporting statement said: “The solar pho- tovoltaic system proposed will be a 23kW peak array, comprising 76 TG solar photovoltaic pan- els of nominal 295w output. “The installation will not generate any noise and visibility of the installation from outside the


boundaries of the farmis extremely limited. The building to which the solar photovoltaic array will be installed is a modern agricultural barn and of no historic or architectural significance. “The design and appearance of the photo- voltaic panels is restricted by the need for effi- ciency from the system and availability from manufacturers.” Maidstone Council will decide on the application.


Solar shed given green light APPLICANTS Robert and Joan Livesey have been given planning permission to install solar photovoltaic panels on the south-east facing roof slope of a detached cart shed at Chainhurst Farm, Hunton Road, Marden.


Council to rule on panels idea FORTY solar panels could be installed on the roof of an agricultural building at Reed Place Cottages, Dairy Lane, Marden. Maidstone Coun- cil will rule on the application.


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‘Not democracy’ outburst A FURIOUS member of public stood up and slammed the council for accepting the proposal. The observer, who breached council


rules by speaking as a member of the au- dience, said: “This is totally out of order. I thought representations in a democratic country would be listened to, but they have not listened to them at all.”


“It may well be that in a few months plan-


ning policy will change, but that has not happened. It will not happen for a long time. To make decisions on anticipated out- comes on what might happen risks a repeat of what happened with KCC on waste ap- plications, where it had to go back and do its policy all over again.” Despite four councillors voting against the proposal, it was passed by the eight who backed Cllr English’s stance.


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