To consider the recommendations of the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee following the call-in of the decision made by Cabinet on 15 September 2010.

That the responses to the recommendations of the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as set out on the attached Appendix, be agreed.

The Cabinet’s decision dated 15 September 2010 regarding the Core Strategy Housing Target and Distribution was called-in and a meeting of the Leisure and Prosperity Overview and Scrutiny Committee was held on 28 September 2010 to consider the call-in and make recommendations to the Cabinet.

The Scrutiny Committee Recommendation Action and Implementation Plan (SCRAIP) recommends that a strategic development area not be tested for Option 1 – 8,200 dwellings, as Members felt that a strategic development area would not be viable for the number of houses in the option. This note provides further background should it be decided that this option should not be pursued. 

The table below shows an example of how an option of 8200 dwellings could be achieved. Existing commitments (completions and planning consents); brownfield site opportunities (identified in the SHLAA and Maidstone Town Centre Study) and an allowance for windfall sites would leave a residual greenfield requirement of some 1188 dwellings.

A strategic development area (SDA) would need a critical mass to form the basis for a sustainable community. Even if all the remaining greenfield allocations were made at the SDA, it is unlikely that an allocation of just over 1000 dwellings would sustain a neighbourhood with a supporting range of services such as primary school, shops and other community facilities. In contrast, it is likely that the other options being tested which include a SDA of at least double the number of dwellings within the plan period would require the provision of a supporting range of services. The Infrastructure Delivery Plan will confirm which particular services would be likely to accompany a larger scale SDA.

The Core Strategy must be deliverable and flexible in order to be sound. In this scenario, if all the development were to be concentrated at a SDA, the delivery of the strategy would be dependent on a limited number of landowners and developers.

Given the lower numbers, focusing on a single development area also restricts the location of development to the exclusion of other greenfield sites. There are alternative greenfield sites outside the SDA the suitability of which would need to be carefully assessed. This option would therefore allow no choice of sites for developers or those meeting housing need and for this reason would lack flexibility whilst deliverability may be challenged. 

In order for the Core Strategy to be sound it must also be the most appropriate strategy when considered against the reasonable alternatives. For the reasons set out previously, an option of 8200 dwellings with a SDA would appear not to be the most appropriate strategy to pursue.

The SCRAIP also recommends that the Local Development Document Advisory Group be requested to review and shape the evaluation framework based on the concerns debated by the Committee including stimulating regeneration and economic factors; and an explanation be given to all Members on the reasoning for the figure for option 3 – 11,000 dwellings.

The Cabinet could have agreed not to accept the recommendations from the Leisure and Prosperity Overview & Scrutiny Committee but this was not thought appropriate.