FOI request (FOI202598)

Rocklands Planting Scheme

Requested Tue 06 December 2016
Responded Thu 05 January 2017

Condition 4 of the appeal decision on the new building stipulates that the applicant must provide a detailed planting scheme:

4) Details of the planting and soft landscaping scheme to the north-east of the building and on the south and west boundaries shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority within 3 months of the date of this decision. The details shall include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land including details of those to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development. New soft landscaping details shall include planting plans; written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment); schedules of plants, noting species, plant sizes and proposed numbers/densities where appropriate together with an implementation programme.

The planting scheme submitted with application HS/CD/16/00655 by Rocklands does not conform to these requirements stipulated by the Planning Inspector.

• The planting scheme was not submitted and approved within the 3 months stipulated by the inspector.
• The scheme does not include indications of all existing trees and hedgerows on the land including details of those to be retained, together with measures for their protection in the course of development.
• The scheme does not include new soft landscaping details including planting plans; written specifications (including cultivation and other operations associated with plant and grass establishment); schedules of plants, noting species, plant sizes and proposed numbers/densities where appropriate together with an implementation programme

SEG wish to be certain that HBC have taken or are taking action to ensure all requirements of this condition are fulfilled to avoid unnecessary complaints to the LGO.

We note that there is no correspondence on this matter recorded on the Planning web site for the application. All such correspondence should be recorded and in the public domain.

The failure to follow the conditions on planting imposed by the planning inspector will have a harmful affect on the visual amenity and ecology of the site and the surrounding Country Park.

Please provide copies of all correspondence between HBC and the applicants concerning the planting scheme, including the fact that it lacks sufficient detail to comply with the inspector’s condition and the fact that it is now beyond the 3 month deadline.

Response

This information is held

The information required as part of this FOI request is predominantly the subject of a current planning application to discharge conditions at the Rocklands Private Caravan Park, Rocklands Lane, reference HS/CD/16/00655.  Application documents are already publicly available via public access at http://publicaccess.hastings.gov.uk/online-applications/.

A revised landscaping scheme has recently been submitted which will be published on the website, using the same link above, shortly.

As set out in previous correspondence regarding this issue, the details were submitted within 3 months of the decision. The Council considers it of utmost importance to ensure an acceptable scheme is provided in order to discharge this condition. Given the time taken to discuss and agree such as scheme, it has not been possible to issue written approval within that time period.

Please find attached correspondence as requested.

Attachments

• FOI202598_Rocklands_13_October_Redacted.pdf