Agenda and draft minutes

All Members present are required to declare, at this point in the meeting or as soon as possible thereafter:

(i)            any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPIs) and / or

(ii)           other interests arising under the Code of Conduct

in respect of any item(s) of business being considered at the meeting. Anyone with a DPI must, unless a dispensation has been granted, withdraw from the meeting during consideration of the relevant item of business.  If in doubt, advice should be sought from the Monitoring Officer or his staff prior to the meeting.           

Councillor Chris Farr declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 4.1 (minute 249) on the basis that he was a Surrey County Councillor and a Godstone Parish Councillor. He confirmed that he was not a member of the Parish Council Planning Committee and had not attended any meetings where the application had been discussed.

Councillor Sue Farr declared a non-pecuniary interest in agenda item 4.1 (minute 249) on the basis that she was a Godstone Parish Councillor. She confirmed that she was not a member of the Parish Council Planning Committee and had not attended any meetings where the application had been discussed.

The minutes of the meeting were confirmed and signed by the Chair.

The Committee considered an application for the phased development of the land at former Godstone Quarry for 140 new homes, new doctor’s surgery, publicly accessible open space, land reprofiling and associated infrastructure including the Godstone Parish Council car park and access, site access, internal roads and off-site highways works, parking areas, landscaping and associated car and cycle infrastructure and associated works to facilitate the development.

The Officer recommendation was to permit, subject to conditions and Section 106 agreement as outlined in the report.

Councillor Jim Gardner of Godstone Parish Council spoke in favour of the application.

Michael Arnaud, Dorking Healthcare Limited, and Tracy Puttock, on behalf of the applicant, spoke in favour of the application.

Councillor Chris Farr, seconded by Councillor Jackie Wren, proposed amendments to the recommendation. Upon being put to a vote, the motion to amend the recommendations was agreed.

R E S O L V E D – that the application be approved subject to conditions and to authorise the Chief Planning Officer and the Head of Legal in conjunction with the Chair and Vice-Chair to finalise the Section 106 agreement as set out in recommendations 2, A-H to make sure that all matters are fully secured and:

1.    The application being referred to the Secretary of State under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Consultation) (England) Direction 2021; and the application then not being called-in by the Secretary of State for determination; and

2.    The completion of a Section 106 agreement to secure the following matters:

A.    The delivery of the affordable housing (70 units) prior to the occupation of 50% of the open-market dwellings with the freehold of the affordable housing having been transferred/granted to a registered provider. All affordable housing shall be subject to nomination rights.

B.    The construction of a doctor’s surgery to shell and core stage shall have commenced prior to the commencement of the construction of any dwellings. The doctor’s surgery shall have been practically completed prior to the occupation of 25 dwellings and transferred on a 999 year lease to an NHS contracted doctor’s surgery in a timeline to be agreed in writing by the District Council. A scheme of marketing and control over the disposal and subsequent use of the building shall be secured in the event that there are unforeseen obstacles to the transfer occurring.  In the event of the doctor’s surgery not being taken up, or the healthcare provider in occupation of the surgery loses the NHS contract to operate as a doctor’s surgery, then the site designated for the doctor’s surgery and associated car park will be transferred to the District Council for a price of £1 (one pound). The doctor’s surgery building and car park shall then be transferred by the District Council, in consultation with Godstone Parish Council, to a use deemed fitting by the District Council with first priority being transfer to an NHS contracted doctor’s surgery or other healthcare use.

C.   The provision of Open Space and the Play Area  ...  view the full minutes text for item 249.