Planning Committee minutes

Deferred · No decision yet; it comes back later.

The Planning Committee considered a proposal for a new dwelling with on-site parking, a drive and gardens, and a new entrance to the existing house, at 1 Ridgewood Gardens, Hastings (application HS/FA/25/00224). p5

Late objections included photographic and video evidence of a hole covered by slabs, which an objector said indicated a badger sett. p5

The council's Ecology Officer said further assessment, including a site visit, was needed before advising whether the development could affect badgers or their setts. p5

Officers said it would be premature to issue a planning decision until the new evidence had been assessed, as badgers and their setts are legally protected. p5

The committee deferred the application to a future date, by 6 votes to 2, pending further investigation by the Ecology Officer. p6

Show the 2 passages this is based on

• p521. 1 Ridgewood Gardens, Hastings (HS/FA/25/00224) Proposal New Dwelling with on-site parking / drive and gardens. New entrance to existing house. Application No. HS/FA/25/00224 Conservation Area No Listed Building No Public Consultation & Status Not delegated - 5 or more letters of objection received Will Larkin, Principal Planning Officer, presented the application for a new dwelling with on-site parking, drive and gardens together with a new entrance to the existing house. Since the publication of the report, late additional comments in objection had been received and circulated by email to Committee Members. Photographic and video evidence of a hole covered by slabs had been submitted by an objector which purported to indicate a badger sett. The report had originally concluded that the development would not harm badgers nor their setts, based on the ecological information available at the time. However, the recent photographs of an unidentified hole close to the site boundary had been seen by the Council's Ecology Officer who had advised that further assessment was required. The Ecology Officer stated that they needed time to: Review the new evidence. Carry out an additional site visit. Provide updated ecological advice on whether the development could affect badgers or their setts. As badgers and their setts were legally protected, Officers cautioned that it would be premature to issue a planning decision until the new information had been properly assessed. Officers were not yet able to advise on the timeline for the ecological assessment. Consequentially, Officers advised Members of two options: a) that the Committee could consider the application without the updated ecological assessment, subject to the final decision on the application being delegated to the Planning Services Manager, upon the receipt of the updated ecological assessment; or b) to defer consideration of the whole application to a future date.
• p6The Planning Services Manager reminded Members that the National Scheme of Delegation of Planning Functions would come into force on 31 October 2026 and would mean that applications of this type would then be determined by Officers. The Chair called upon the Committee to vote on the options before it and it was RESOLVED (by 6 votes in favour and 2 against): To DEFER the application to a future date pending further investigation by the Ecology Officer.