The Planning Applications Committee of Kent County Council was scheduled to discuss a Section 73 application to vary conditions at Otterpool Quarry, Sellindge, and to review matters dealt with under delegated powers. The meeting's agenda also included general matters and minerals and waste applications.

Otterpool Quarry Section 73 Application

A significant item scheduled for discussion was a Section 73 application concerning Otterpool Quarry, located at Ashford Road, Sellindge, Kent TN25 6DA. The application, identified as FH/25/1739 (KCC/FH/0076/2025), sought to vary conditions 3, 21, 25, and 27 of a previous planning permission, SH/08/124.

The proposed variations aimed to allow revisions to the site layout, including an amended office location, a relocated weighbridge, provision for cycle parking, and additional HGV parking spaces. Crucially, the application also sought amendments to the permitted waste types, specifically to include an element of household (black bag) waste imports to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). The total MRF throughput would remain capped at 75,000 tonnes per annum, meaning no increase in overall waste volumes or vehicle movements.

The report pack detailed extensive consultations with various stakeholders, including Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Sellindge Parish Council, Lympne Parish Council, and KCC Highways and Transportation. Sellindge Parish Council raised objections, citing concerns about increased odour, vermin, and bioaerosol risks due to the inclusion of household waste, as well as traffic safety and cumulative impacts with the proposed Otterpool Park development. Lympne Parish Council also sought clarification on waste management, vehicle queuing, and cumulative impacts.

The report highlighted that the Otterpool Quarry site is situated at the centre of the proposed Otterpool Park Development, a new garden settlement allocated in the Folkestone Local Plan. While an outline planning application for Otterpool Park had received a resolution to grant permission, the legal agreement was still ongoing. The report discussed the importance of ensuring coexistence between the waste management facility and the future residential development, noting that a 250m buffer zone is considered appropriate.

The report also addressed transportation matters, with KCC Highways and Transportation raising no objection, stating the application would not have a material impact on the local highway network. Amenity considerations, including odour control, were discussed, with reference to an updated Odour Management Plan approved by the Environment Agency. Heritage matters and landscape and visual impact were also assessed, with the report noting that proposed changes to the site layout were considered minor and unlikely to have a discernible impact on the surrounding landscape or heritage assets.

The recommendation was to grant permission, subject to the reimposition of existing conditions from the original permission (SH/08/124) and amendments to conditions 3, 21, 25, and 27, along with two additional conditions relating to landscaping and the water tank.

Matters Dealt With Under Delegated Powers

The committee was also scheduled to receive information on matters dealt with under delegated powers. This included:

• County matter applications: A list of applications permitted, approved, or refused under delegated powers, such as a replacement store building at Longreach Sewage Treatment Works and a Section 73 application to extend the life of a landfill at Norwood Farm Quarry and Landfill Site.
• County Council developments: Details of developments carried out by the County Council that have been permitted, approved, or refused under delegated powers, including various conditions discharged for the A28 Sturry Link Road project.
• Screening opinions under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017: A list of proposed developments for which a screening opinion was adopted, determining whether an Environmental Impact Assessment was required. This included a request for a screening opinion regarding the installation of a temporary Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor at Wye Wastewater Treatment Works.
• Scoping opinions under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017: A request for a scoping opinion to determine the extent of an Environmental Impact Assessment for a waste to hydrogen facility near Margate.