Item 18, Page 73 17/502331

Land at Woodcut Farm, Ashford, Road, Hollingbourne

Pre-Action Protocol Letter (PAPL) from the CPRE

A PAPL dated 27^th November (a copy of which is attached for your information purposes only) has been received. Officers have considered the contents of the PAPL but it does not change the officer’s recommendation.

Additional/Amendment to Heads of Terms (HoTs)

A HoTs is required to secure tree planting beyond the site boundaries as per criterion 10 of the site policy, and as discussed at paragraphs 6.25 and 6.71, as follows:

· Financial contribution of £10,000 to be used for community tree planting in order to provide environmental enhancement of the wider landscape beyond the allocation boundary (locations and planting to be agreed with the LPA).

HoTs no. 2 is amended to remove reference to the 6.6ha of land to the NW of the site being used for ‘agriculture, horticulture, or forestry’ as follows. This is to ensure that this woodland area is the maintained in perpetuity for both landscape mitigation and biodiversity enhancement purposes in line with the allocation policy.

2.    6.6ha of land (within the land outlined in blue on the site location plan) to the northwest of the site to be maintained in perpetuity as wooded pasture including submission of a management plan to the Council for approval, with the plan to include provision for tree planting and long term management of the land as wooded pasture.

HoTs no. 8 (Development Monitoring Group) is amended to include Planning Committee Groups Spokespersons as follows:

8.    The creation of a ‘Development Monitoring Group’ made up of MBC planning officer(s),

Planning Committee Groups Spokespersons, North Downs Ward Councillors, and Hollingbourne Parish Council to monitor practical matters such as the implementation of the Section 106 Agreement, planning conditions submissions and compliance, and also to be kept up to date with potential future development of the site. To include a monitoring fee of £5,000.

Conditions 8 and 18

Condition 8 (Landscaping) is amended to include reference to the 6.6ha of wooded pasture and its establishment (in addition to the 2.5ha woodland area) under phase 1 of any development.

8.    The details of landscaping submitted pursuant to condition 1 shall be designed in accordance with the principles of the Council’s landscape character guidance. The scheme shall show all existing trees, hedges and blocks of landscaping on, and immediately adjacent to, the site and indicate whether they are to be retained or removed. It shall detail measures for protection of species to be retained and include a planting specification, a programme of implementation and maintenance and a 10 year management plan. The programme of implementation shall include site boundary planting and the 9ha of woodland/wooded pasture being established under the first phase of any development. The landscape scheme shall specifically address the need to provide:

• Substantial tracts of planting extending into the body of the development to achieve clear visual separation between individual buildings and between parking areas.
• Dense woodland planting along the A20 frontage at the south western edge of the site in excess of 25m width including a planted bund.
• A 30m native woodland belt with understorey shrubs and grasses along the western edge of the site to help secure the setting of Woodcut Farmhouse.
• Planted landscape buffer zones to the west north and east of Chestnuts and White Heath adjacent to the site to help protect the amenity of these properties.
• Retention of the protected trees along Musket Lane, augmented with hedgerows and a new native woodland shaw at least 15m in depth to Musket Lane.
• Creation of a circa 38m-70m landscape buffer between any development and the M20 which includes the gas pipe easement.
• A woodland shaw along the northern boundary and the M20 of at least between 10-24m width.
• The gas pipe easement corridor managed as long grass with indigenous wild flora.
• Tracts of structural landscaping extending into development areas of at least 15m in width.
• An avenue of tree planting along the access road.
• An area of heavily treed native woodland planting in the north west corner of the site of approximately 2.5ha and an area of wooded pasture within the land outlined in blue to the northwest of the application site of approximately 6.6ha (total of at least 9ha).
• Tree planting within the area of land outlined in blue to the west of the application site (approximately 2.4ha).
• Swales and balancing ponds including the provision of shallow areas, and deeper, cooler areas, as well as the planting regimes.

Reason: To ensure a satisfactory appearance and landscape setting to the development

and satisfactory implementation, maintenance and management of the landscaped

areas.

Condition 18 (Ecological Design Strategy) is amended to include further biodiversity enhancements as follows:

18.  No development shall take place until an ecological design strategy (EDS) addressing ecological enhancements for the site has been submitted to and approved in writing by

the local planning authority. The EDS shall include the following:

a) Purpose and conservation objectives for the proposed works;

b) Review of site potential and constraints;

c) Detailed design(s) to achieve stated objectives;

d) Extent and location/area of proposed works on appropriate scale maps and plans;

e) Type and source of materials to be used, e.g. native species of local provenance;

f) Timetable for implementation demonstrating that works are aligned with any proposed phasing of development;

g) Persons responsible for implementing the works;

h) Details of initial aftercare and long term maintenance;

i)   Details for monitoring and remedial measures.

j)   Provision of ground nesting bird habitat.

k)  Wildlife friendly drainage infrastructure.

l)   Wildlife niches integral to buildings.

m) Follow the principles of the biodiversity enhancement plan as outlined under the

‘Lloydbore Ecology Report (20/04/17)’

The EDS shall be implemented in accordance with the approved details and all features

shall be retained in that manner thereafter.

Reason: To protect and enhance biodiversity.

RECOMMENDATION

Subject to the additional/amended HoTs and conditions, my recommendation remains unchanged.