MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

COUNCIL

25 JANUARY 2016

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE FROM 13 JANUARY 2016

MAIDSTONE BOROUGH LOCAL PLAN – PUBLICATION (REGULATION 19)

At the meeting of the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation (SPST) Committee on 13 January 2016 the Committee considered the Report of the Head of Planning and Development - Maidstone Borough Local Plan – Publication (Regulation 19[1]), attached as Appendix A.  The report sought approval to undertake ‘Publication’ consultation on the Maidstone Borough Local Plan (Regulation 19), attached as Appendix B, and submit the plan to the Secretary of State for examination (Regulation 22) under section 20 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

The Committee also considered the re-classification of Coxheath as a rural service centre in the Local Plan settlement hierarchy.  The decision of the Committee was not to re-classify Coxheath as a rural service centre and it remains classified as a larger village in the Local Plan settlement hierarchy.  This amendment will be made to the document at Appendix B before its Publication date of 5 February 2016.

The Committee also considered an urgent update report, regarding the insertion of the Indicative Housing Trajectory into the Maidstone Borough Local Plan (Regulation 19). The Committee approved the insertion of the Indicative Housing Trajectory, presented to the Committee as an Urgent Update, into the Maidstone Borough Local Plan (Publication) 2016 document.  This amendment has been made to the document at Appendix B.

Recommendations Made

1.   That subject to the reclassification of Coxheath as a larger village, the Council approves the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2016 (attached as Appendix A of the report to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee dated 13 January 2016, revised to reflect (i) insertion of the words ‘community and’ at line 1 of Policy H1 paragraph 2 on page 78, before the word ‘strategic’[2], and (ii) any previously agreed site-specific infrastructure criterion not covered by (i) which were agreed by this Committee or its decision-making predecessor) for Publication (Regulation 19) and Submission to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Regulation 22) for examination under section 20 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

2.   That delegated powers be granted to the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee to submit a schedule of proposed changes/main modifications to the pre-submission Publication version of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2016, arising from representations made (Regulation 20), to the Secretary of State.

3.   That the Borough’s full objectively assessed housing need of 18,560 dwellings be confirmed as the Council’s Local Plan housing target.

APPENDICES

Appendix A – Report of the Head of Planning and Development – Maidstone Borough Local Plan – Publication (Regulation 19)

Appendix B - Maidstone Borough Local Plan – Publication (Regulation 19) February 2016 which includes the following amendments:

·         The inclusion of the Indicative Housing Trajectory at Appendix A;

·         The insertion of the words ‘community and’ at line 1 of Policy H1 paragraph 2 on page 78, before the word ‘strategic’;

·         Factual amendment: H1(57) Hubbards Lane and Haste Hill Road, Boughton Monchelsea and Loose;

and will include for Publication:

·         Coxheath as a larger village in the settlement hierarchy

·         Modifications to the Local plan in accordance with recommendation 1 (ii)

Appendix C – Schedule of amended policy numbers and cross-references to committee dates