Spring 2022

Update
What your Local Planning
Committee does for You
As a parish councillor, who
sits on the Cranbrook and
Sissinghurst Parish Council
Planning and Preservation
Management Committee, I was
recently asked what is we actually do! So, I
thought I would briefly explain the workings
of this important local body.
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC)
planning department send us all the local
parish planning applications. Our purpose
is to discuss each application, and any
associated matters it brings up concerning
the parish, and take a considered view
in relation to the passing or rejecting of
applications from a local viewpoint. Our
views are then sent over to the planning
department.
Members are encouraged to attend
every meeting, which are held every two
weeks, to ensure all views are taken into
consideration. We have to discuss all the
applications as soon as possible, as there
are time restrictions for decision making.
Councillors are required to declare any
interest or lobbying to the parish clerk.
We look at the following material
planning considerations for each
application, such as but not limited to:
location, plans of the proposed works
or change, the effect on the immediate
location, scale and dominance, layout and
density of buildings, appearance and design
of development and materials proposed,
highway and parking issues, drainage and
flood risk, effect on listed buildings and
conservation areas, effect on trees and
wildlife/nature conservation, economic
impact and sustainability, government
policy, proposals in the Local Development
“Personal circumstances
are generally not a planning
consideration”
Plan and previous planning decisions
(including appeal decisions).
There are also some things we cannot
take into consideration, such as and again
not limited to: who the applicant is/the
applicant’s background, loss of views, loss
of property value, loss of trade or increased
competition, strength or volume of local
opposition, maintenance of property,
boundary disputes, covenants or other
The proposed Turnden development
property rights and rights of way. Personal
circumstances are generally not a planning
consideration.
As you can see, we have quite a lot
to consider and check out with each
application and, as you would expect, this
involves quite a bit of discussion between
the committee members in order to reach a
fair decision.
After all this hard work we have to
realise that we, the parish, can only make
comments and recommendations to TWBC,
as it is TWBC who make the final decision
(which may, of course, not be the one we
recommended).
Cllr Colin Gilbert
40 The Cake • Spring 2023