Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee

18th April 2016

Urgent Update

 

Agenda Item 11

Maidstone Borough Local Plan: main outcomes of the Regulation 19 consultation and proposed changes

1.                   For clarification, all of the emerging neighbourhood plans have been taken into consideration during the deliberation of representations and proposed changes to the Local Plan, including the North Loose Neighbourhood Development Plan which was ‘made’ by Council on 13 April 2016 and which now forms part of the Maidstone Development Plan.

 

North Loose Residents Association, the neighbourhood forum with responsibility for the North Loose Neighbourhood Development Plan, assert it its representation to the Regulation 19 version of the Local Plan that the sites allocations at New Line Learning, Boughton Lane and Boughton Mount should be deleted from the Local Plan in the light of the Secretary of State’s decision on the appeal at the New Line Learning site (APP/U2235/A/14/2227839). Officers consider that the highways and design issues raised by the appeal decision are capable of mitigation, subject to the changes proposed and for the reasons outlined within the main report, and that the deletion of these sites from the Plan is not justified. 

 

2.                   Lenham Parish Council circulated a letter to the Committee on 14th April concerning progress with and content of the emerging Lenham Neighbourhood Plan.  The Committee is reminded that work on an initial masterplan for the Lenham Broad Location is underway, including active engagement with local stakeholders. An initial meeting was held with the Parish Council and Neighbourhood Plan representatives on 1 March 2016 (while both the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan consultations were on-going) to discuss the Council’s aspirations for working on the masterplanning in synergy with the emerging Neighbourhood Plan. A subsequent stakeholder event was held on Friday, 15 April again with the Parish Council and Neighbourhood Plan representatives, alongside infrastructure providers, landowners and other interested parties, facilitated by Louise Thomas, the Urban Designer assisting with the masterplanning.

 

3.                   The following additional Proposed Change to Policy H1(5) is recommended for inclusion in the Schedule of Proposed Changes in Appendix A

 

PC/xx

Policy H1(5) – Langley Park, Sutton Road

Amend Policy H1(5) criterion 6 to read;  “A separate bus, cycle and pedestrian access will be provided to site H1(10) South of Sutton Road subject to agreement with the Highways Authority and Borough Council.”

The site H1(10) policy requires vehicular access to the H1(5) site and so it is appropriate that site H1(5) is also required to provide a public transport link to site H1(10), in the interest of good connectivity and sustainable transport promotion.

 

 

4.                   It is recommended that the wording of Proposed Changes PC/38 and PC/39 in the Schedule of Proposed Changes in Appendix A be substituted with the following wording to make clear that the provision of land and financial contributions towards the construction of new primary schools is required.

 

PC/38

Policy H2(2) Invicta Park

Amend criterion 3 of Policy H2(2) to read “Ensuring requisite community facilities, which may include neighbourhood shopping and health and education facilities, in addition to a new primary school, are delivered where proven necessary and in conjunction with housing; “

 

To reflect updated IDP requirements

PC/39

Policy H2(3) Lenham

Amend criterion 5 of Policy H2(3) to read “provision of a new primary school and provision of, or contributions towards, other community infrastructure (e.g. medical facilities, youth facilities) where proven necessary, to be delivered in conjunction with housing

 

To reflect updated IDP requirements

 

5.                   Having given further consideration to the landowner representation, the following additional Proposed Change to Policy EMP1(1) Mote Road, Maidstone is recommended for inclusion in the Schedule of Proposed Changes in Appendix A.

 

PC/xx

Policy EMP1(1) Mote Road, Maidstone

Amend the opening paragraph of Policy EMP1(1) to read “ Mote Road, as shown on the policies map, is allocated for the redevelopment of up to 8,000sqm of office floorspace (B1 use class).  An element of additional residential development would also be appropriate as a secondary, supporting use.  Planning permission will be granted of the following criteria are met:”

To clarify that the site could deliver an element of residential development.