Extension to Crossways Centre to include demolition of buildings fronting the site, surfacing of extension to yard, erection of loading bay, landscape, drainage, infrastructure and ancillary works including additional lighting (part retrospective).

Councillor Wiggins had earlier on in the meeting, as recorded above, declared for the public record a personal interest in this application due to her being a Ward Member. She thereupon withdrew from participation in the Committee’s deliberations and decision making for this application.

Councillor Fowler had earlier on in the meeting, as recorded above, declared for the public record a personal interest in this application due to her knowing the applicant.  She thereupon withdrew from the Committee’s deliberations and decision making for this application.

Members of the Committee were reminded that the Crossways Centre was located within Frating, which was a ‘Smaller Rural Village’. Access would not have been via the primary highway network but instead, from the B1029 Frating Road. The site was not a protected or allocated employment site and the proposal was for the expansion and extension of an existing B8 storage and distribution use.,The expanded part of the site was located outside of the settlement development boundary.

The Committee recalled that this application had previously been presented to it at its meeting held on 7^th December 2021. Following a detailed presentation, question/answer session and debate, the Committee had resolved on that occasion to defer the item for 4 reasons which were as follows:

“1. To allow further dialogue with the Applicant and ECC Highways to discuss a Traffic Management Plan, to include looking at HGV movements/routing plan with

particular emphasis on examining/directing traffic to and from the south from the

Frating crossroads & any potential improvements to that junction;

2. Further explore the highways access arrangements and the potential to demolishthe front buildings to facilitate two-way movements;

3. Look at hours of operation and if this could be reduced at night time; and

4. Explore a temporary planning permission for up to 2 or 3 years with the aim of

helping to support the applicant in finding a more appropriate site within the District.”

It was noted that some time had gone by to explore those issues and a number of changes to the proposal had been made. The policy context since Members had considered this development had also altered with the adoption of the Local Plan.

In summary and in response to the 4 reasons for deferral above – in terms of reasons for

deferral 2 and 3, it was considered by Officers that those elements had now been addressed through the provision of additional information and the inclusion of necessary, reasonable and enforceable planning conditions restricting nighttime activity and nighttime movement onto the site. It was also considered by Officers that the first part of reason for deferral 1 had also been addressed. In terms of the latter part of reason for deferral 1 (‘examining any potential improvements to the Frating crossroads junction’), it was considered by Officers that this existing junction

served a very broad variety of traffic, mostly unrelated to this development proposal, and that any potential improvements to that junction were considered to fall outside the scope  ...  view the full minutes text for item 101