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Appendix C

Workshop feedback mapped to Outcomes

Outcome

June Workshop

August Workshop

Objective: Great Environmental Quality

The borough’s biodiversity and green corridors are improved

Also conserve natural environment

Need more conservation areas, green land and AONB

Make space to plant trees

There is green space but lots of poor green space – mixture of wild and managed.

Have a green land ridge AONB

When trees are planted make sure developers look after them.

Look at stewardship to look after the green spaces.

Plant more trees work with landowners e.g. Golding Homes.

Council need to do more to preserve green.

Failed to keep green space and trees

Open space should be managed for the environment, at least a part should be wildlife.

Work with other organisations to apply for grants.

Parishes can do more and purchase land to keep it green, the borough should do the same.

Better management of green spaces, including more green spaces, hubs and also qualitative.

Put money in a pot for council for a larger, better open space that is strategically planned.

Don’t do token gestures – do a large, well run, properly managed green space.

More and better green space, some wild, some managed.

Need to do more to conserve the best bits of the built and natural environment

We will Conserve the best bits of the natural and built environment

We will Facilitate the management of green spaces including for wildlife. 

Green – what is greening for developments?  Land bank, more strategic planning for green spaces.  How do we maintain it?  Littering - fly tip.  Future planning – give % land to PO/MBC, eg allocate S106 to one project.

More trees and looked after

Right tree for right place

Ownership of trees and verges – standardisation (cost saving) of maintenance KCC and MBC

New homes 1 tree per room

Green corridors connecting communities

Accessible open space

Reduce housing density in residential developments to allow for wider roads, more communal space (and trees).  (Downside:  more land will be required to reach housing demand).

More residents participate in taking care of the environment

Recycling mascot – equivalent for being active to primary schools in Mote Park area.

Sacks of clothes in alleyway – need to educate people of all backgrounds.

Biodiversity has to be up the agenda – engage the schools – educate

People taking responsibility

More school involvement in clean and green agenda

Co-operative model – residents taking equal responsibility for their communities/environment

 

The carbon footprint of the footprint of the borough is reduced

Air quality pollution monitoring

Air quality issues.

Air quality.

Pollution – especially in Maidstone – keep the town clean and the villages.

Air pollution

Pollution – location of jobs and proximity to new homes.

Trees linked to Air Quality

Everyone has access to high quality and attractive parks and green spaces

We Will commit to delivering our Parks and Open spaces 10 year strategic plan

Losing green areas.

Access to parks (without charges) Green and blue spaces.

More facilities in parks and quiet places.

More environmentally friendly places.

Efficient green places

Green spaces

Better transport links to park areas.

A park for everyone

How do people get to Mote Park

Creating spaces for people to mix

Better space standards

 

More waste is treated locally and used as valuable resource

Recycling is now very good, won’t improve much more.

Waste.

Energy.

Need more waste facilities and open tips.

Fly tipping – needs charges reduced and facilities to be accessible.

Not enough provision for waste – creates fly tipping, especially need facilities in the north.

Fly Tipping – protect the countryside, more facilities needed.

Invest in food waste recycling to power etc

Free bins

A borough which is recognised as being clean and well cared for

Attractiveness of Maidstone as a place to visit / live.

Clean the gullies in the villages.

Need to do better cleaning streets because of the pollution.

Fly tipping an issue – needs moving.

Cleanliness is a big issue in the villages.

Dog fouling is a key issue that is consistently reported.  I am yet to see an enforcement officer in my village (3.5 yrs).The town looks very clean on Saturday mornings.

More enforcement – dog fouling etc

Less noisy borough

Move away from strimmer’s?  less noise pollution etc

 

 


 

Outcome

June Workshop

August Workshop

Objective: Well Connected Safe and Empowered Communities

A borough where more people feel safe

Clean safe environment (less crime.)

 

The harm caused by crime and anti-social behaviour is reduced

 

 

More investment in community infrastructure

Community opportunities through improvement projects and local schemes that can be delivered on a voluntary basis and help promote cohesion.

Development can help save local community facilities in rural areas.

Better use of technology to connect people – apps/geolocation.

More S106 funds for community infrastructure halls/ groups.

 

A diverse range of community activity enabled by the Council

Focus on the town centre – social hub should be evolving.

Enabling/Supporting Community Development Groups

Councillors championing issues and change.

More community groups particularly in areas of deprivation.

Breaking down into smaller communities not wards – working in neighbourhoods.

More publicity for community groups etc

Increase Residents Associations etc.

We have a key role as influences and enablers

More support and involvement for community groups e.g. rural café bus, coffee club in the museum.

Trial small community groups built by communities with ward councillors

Trialling small neighbourhood/community groups working with Councillors to address local needs and issues.

Promoting greater resilience amongst local communities to assist people within their areas.

Community involvement to promote better inclusion.

Children have a strong identity with the Borough – their impact on friends/family, working with this group.

Communication promoting what is already out there.

Recognise and deal with those smaller communities.

Connecting to the right places.

Make the most of the ward councillors and their local knowledge.

Operating as the signposting body.

 

 

A borough with more neighbourhood plans

 

 

Community creativity is encouraged and enabled

 

 

 


 

Outcome

June Workshop

August Workshop

Objective: Embracing Growth

New places are created that are well designed and connected

New town

(jobs) Linking in with development within the borough.

When we build include transport

Respect our rural communities by not over-developing and we will create a new garden village

Giving people an area to go to get together.

Give each community heart.

Develop new hamlets not expand the towns.

Hub and spokes  of hamlets through Maidstone

Garden village, single settlement with new school and doctors etc. Active forward.

Build housing with people’s wellbeing in mind, space between buildings, giving people space between each other.

Influence planning process for GP clinics.

Build a new settlement east of Lenham

Need to work with infrastructure providers’ e.g. KCC we can be naive on how we deal with them.

Delivery of services as villages/towns expand.

Create a new garden village and stop growing current villages beyond their boundaries.

Schools/nursery provision – are they in the right place and connected to communities.

Development, like growth, has negative perception – we need to show the positives it brings.

Garden settlements – ring-fence green spaces/new spaces.

Densities of housing – still need quality and need space for green space.

We Will Develop homes and neighbourhoods that enable our residents to live healthier lifestyles and community by design.

We Will Ensure regeneration is designed with well-being in mind

We Will Invest in open space (not just green) development and shaping

We Will Align our policies on housing, economic development and open spaces 

We Will work with our developers and residents to enable communities to shape their own areas

 

New housing developed – accessible for bin lorries

Reduce housing density in residential developments to allow for wider roads, more communal space (and trees).  (Downside:  more land will be required to reach housing demand).

Stop retrospective planning permission for gypsy/travellers and have more designated and suitable sites

London Best use of land

Residential environments to reflect our aspirations for higher quality jobs

Integration and sense of communities and transport & amenities in a new place

 

The council leads the master planning and invests in the creation of new places

 

Political appetite to change parameters – planning.

Building flexibility into plans and policies

Good planning standards, members very engaged.

Use health developer’s money to bring forward these houses.

Try to be holistic with developer contributions to help local communities

Get ahead of the game & plan sustainable communities now

Look to other societies who do manage housing and town centres are optimal – esp. good for transport inc. trains.

Lobby the government to relax AONB rules.

Create garden villages.

We Will Work with developers in a meaningful way. Including:

Set specific and clear terms for engaging with local community

we will encouraging them to fill the education & skills deficit

we will work with developers to secure infrastructure first

we will start planning now for post 2031 to ensure the requisite infrastructure to deliver:

o   A new town

o   New village hamlets across the borough.

o   we will Work with developers to bring forward

o   A variety of housing

o   A larger settlement with infrastructure

 

Be the master planner

Develop our Members more to recognise good design and improvement/design audits to development policy

Gain greater control over land to be developed and break up land into smaller plots or smaller developers and faster delivery

Buying land for development – enable control

    • From other large landowners (MOD)

Future “new towns”/communities

    • Compulsory purchase

 

All new homes are built to a high quality of environmental and renewable building standards

Redevelopment of Park Wood?

Lobby Government on infrastructure required to deliver

Urban areas – not letting them decline.

Need to do better at conservation of buildings and maintenance.

Sutton Road – Old Sutton School parking issues, roads narrow too high density.

 

Quality built and maintainable homes

Life-long homes/living – modifiable to meet changing needs of the individual

Better quality built houses to environmental standards

Eco standards

Run efficiently

Integrated CHP on new housing developments

Greater distinctiveness in design of houses – less blah

Higher quality of housing – more distinctive housing reflecting local building styles and building for future with new designers

Higher quality of Environmental and Renewable building standard built in the borough

The housing need is met for all

 

Diminishing our stock of bungalows – encourage developers??  Build more.

Homes for life long living – encouraging independent living.

Affordable elderly accommodation

Working with developers around access to advice and support around buying your own home.

Create lifetime living properties – whole lifetime houses.

Work with developers to get a diversity of dwellings built

Too many people in too small developments Needs open space and decent gardens.

Too cramped in town.

More bungalows for the elderly.

Create mixed communities not just 3 bed houses.

Use empty garage spaces to build new homes.

Provide smaller homes that the elderly would want to help them downsize.

Bedsits also want a car.

Need to reduce housing density.

Develop all 3 at same time – housing, economic development and open space – the latter has been left behind.

Look at building Hamlets outside our villages.

Mini towns being built in the villages.

 

Address better elderly, disabled and mental health issues – particularly for those in owner occupational

 

Communities are engaged in planning growth of their place.

Work with developers to get better community engagement by design.

Issue for older generation who are capital rich but cash poor and an issue for rural areas.

Do we actually understand what an older person may want?  How do we get developers to understand?

Towns change over time but people remember it as it used to be – show how it has already changed.

Create a sense of community in new places

·         What does this mean

·         Does it include infrastructure

·         Learn from Langley Park

i.e. know what the components are

Critical mass that enables new community

Integration of new and existing community

Social mix

Creating community & resilience

 

 


 

Outcome

June

August

Objective: Renowned for Heritage and Culture

The value of tourism is increased

 

Profit into H & Culture.

 

 

Well established and promoted cultural quarter

Making a Town Centre Cultural Hub.

Redevelop ourselves and create a hub.

Town Centre is the cultural centre

Art in Town Centre, diversity, draw.

Create a cultural hub in the town centre and run events that make the most out of the heritage.

Create a cultural hub in the town centre.

Cultural Ambition for Maidstone a Hub – be brave + ambitions.

 

A destination that hosts high quality festivals and events and celebrates diversity

Increased promotion of events/assets – not just council owned.

 

Increased resident participation in cultural and heritage activities

Create heritage events – based on industries – paper, brewery, flagstone, legal, public sector.

Install artwork linked to the place.

The Old Archbishops Stables used to store carriages – more carriages to use it as a venue into the old building.

Making the most of what we have – heritage /cultural assets?

Make more of Archbishop’s Palace area – look at it as an area the town investing as a package and priority.

These every square on one of our industries – celebrate heritage i.e. flagstone, brewery etc.

Make most of our river – more opportunities on being active around river.

 

Everyone knows we are the County town of Kent

Make use of county town.

Does it matter that we have disparate communities?

Urban/Rural – Maidstone Identity

Promoting the county town of Kent.

Promoting a positive identity for Maidstone.  365 campaign – build on that.

 

 


 

Outcome

June

August

Objective: A Decent Home for Everyone

Homelessness and rough sleeping is prevented

Hostel – option to open.

 

 

Residents have a decent home

No decent home affects jobs

 

Everyone to be in a decent home, in the tenure they would like

 

The borough has a range of housing type and tenure to meet residents needs

Encouraging greater community inclusion through promoting more use of co-operative housing.              

Loss of key worker schemes more shared ownership.

Give a housing mix.  Cost of an area where it is possible to meet – this comes with a cost.

Providing a range of housing in urban areas where constraints make it more difficult to provide affordable housing but that is where the need is most.

Accessibility to housing.

Removing the stigma of social housing.

Housing waiting list.

Different models of housing schemes/energy purchasing schemes

Tenure mix

Mix of tenure to improve social integration and the number of social interactions between social classes

 

 

 

The accommodation needs of Gypsy and Traveller community are met

Working with neighbour authorities on G & T.

GTAA has been met and over-supplied (normal G&T sites).

a few tweaks to Local Plan, e.g. G&T site size

 

We have enabled and delivered affordable housing

Wider role for property company as an enabler

Sitting on a time bomb.  w/renters around affordability.

Buying into housing provision.

Affordability gap, rent – buying.

Build affordable houses

Build affordable houses

Town lets are the way forward.

Property company focussed on our top priorities – homelessness

we will Expand the delivery programme of Council’s property company (inc. borrowing)

Greater amount of affordable homes that are buy/rent – MBC being shared equity partner

Investing in housing

 

 

Outcome

June

August

Objective: Better Transport Systems

The transport system supports the growth in homes and jobs

Congestion.

Availability of transport between homes and jobs e.g. town centre bus routes.

Ban cars in town centre

Restrict use of private cars in town centre

Town centre congestion charge.

Reduce cars in our town centre

It’s better in school holidays.

Maidstone congestion needs fixing – all times of day, puts people off coming to the town.

Ring road around the Town Centre.

Congestion very poor

Issues of congestion including Willington Street.

we will Restrict use of private cars in the town centre

Bigger roads – build developments with ability to accommodate more links rather          than doing it later.

Congestion charge for TC – ban cars in the town centre.

we will Build the Leeds/Langley Bypass   

Impact of transport – community transport, transport around Maidstone.

Integrated transport – i.e. from rural areas into the urban for schools.

Parking should be under developments.

New schools, especially secondary school – but not causing congestion.

we will New Bridge over the River Medway

We will Encourage more parking provision

we will Encourage the allocation of land at J8 to be developed

we will Enable larger, more flexible development at Junction 8

Parking

Leeds Langley Relief Road

 

Sustainable travel options are invested in and improved

Investment in public transport.

Improvements to bus routes / modernising public transport.

Availability of transport between homes and jobs e.g. town centre bus routes.

Public transport cost can be prohibitive.

Improve park and ride and increase the number of sites.

Council Bus Service

Optimise river – park and sail.

Reduce the parking in the town centre to encourage use of the park and ride.

Improve cycling oppurtunities – realistic transport assessments.

Rapid transit – would cost too much.

Need alternatives to car.

Bus services need to be improved.

Transport facilities for elderly poor.

Transport for disabled also poor.

Make more cycle routes – regeneration?? Time??

Smaller, frequent buses.

We Will Take control of our own public transport to improve connectivity, accessibility and environmental impact

We Will Have a public transport network that is electric and restricted access to vehicles in the town

we will Invest in public transport provision

we will Increase the number of park & ride sites

think forward – get ahead of the move to electric cars.

MBC bus service.

Not enough buses

We will Research alternative means of transport to the car especially to and from the town centre

Will there be enough energy eg electric cars.

Extend footpath network.

Free transport (bus pass) / not paying for it

Establishing more foot paths

Rapid transit – would cost too much.

Need alternatives to car.

Can we meet power demand – electric cars etc.

Deals with cars and buses in town centre.

Cycleways

 

Greater joined up decision making for transport

 

Looking beyond our boundaries, working with our partners.

Greater role in regulating bus service.

Highways infrastructure.

Borough wide bus partnership.

Move S106 contributions for transport.

Closer working relationship with bus companies.

Arriva:  to tell us what 5-10 year plan.

Utilities clogging up roads.

New point to point transport system – alternative to the road

Critical mass in order to justify infrastructure and amenities

 

The air quality impacts of transport are reduced

20mph zone will help safety but creates more pollution and has health repercussions.

Less dense communities – more trees and better air quality

 

 

Outcome

June

August

Objective: People fulfil their potential

Deprivation is reduced

Child poverty – reasons why children cannot attend school and lack of sanitary products for females.

Inequality can be demonstrated as pockets in areas not normally associated within deprivation e.g. Marden.

Energy efficiency – affordable to run

 

Skills levels and earning potential are raised

Highly skilled, highly paid jobs

Encourage job creation in Maidstone.

Apprenticeships providing more opportunity for jobs.

Zero hours contracts.

Encourage businesses into the borough for apprenticeships.

Low prospects, no jobs, no motivation

No motivation

Schools discouraging apprenticeships.

Unemployment.

How can developers be encouraged to provide more apprenticeship/employment opportunities on new housing developments?

School funders for children who can’t afford them.

Encourage more education facilities in Kent/Maidstone.

Education schools influence.

Improved education needs to be tackled as well as economic growth.

Reducing the divide between those that go to university and those that don’t.

Wealth distribution through an adequate range of employment.

University / HE campus.

We will Attract a new university 

Facilitate supply of affordable business premises in exchange for work experience and apprenticeships.

Jobs that cater for local community – rural areas – agriculture.

Only provide jobs which match skillset of current population.

Range of employment opportunities within borough.

we will Encourage entrepreneurship. Promote skills & career opportunities in our primary schools –ward member matched with local business to establish relationship

we will For premises which we own, offer affordable/lower rent in exchange for work experience/apprenticeships

 

Health and well being inequalities are reduced

We Will Commit to delivering our Health and Wellbeing Action Plan

We Will Have a joined up approach in working with our partners and community to improve the health and lifestyles of our residents including sports.

More facilities for exercise (e.g. in parks.)

Hold seminars and invite large business to improve mental health in businesses.

Diet and lifestyle

Inequality between areas. Some areas are a lot nicer than others.

Greater relationship with CCG section 106-spending on things such as green spaces.

Encourage people to be healthier.

Joined up thinking for sport activities co-ordinating sport and leisure.

Sports co-ordination. For health and wellbeing throughout MBC and HCL.

New businesses that offer healthy food, incentivise businesses.

Stop planning permission for fast food places.

 

Social mobility is improved

 

Mobility standards

 

 


 

Outcome

June

August

Objective: A Thriving Economy

Business start-ups and survival rates are improved and we are the best in Kent

Encourage support for local businesses.

Continued support for start-ups.

Councillors supporting farming diversification.

Support creative industries

Creating opportunity for business to acquire freehold – council to facilitate

Room for businesses to grow.

Expand business terrace into industrial sector.

Extension of Business Terrace to support development of maturing businesses.

we will Expand to encourage start-up businesses and support expansion.

 

A revitalised town centre

Pedestrianize heart of town centre, better use of Jubilee Square – connecting town squares.

Focus on the town centre – social hub should be evolving.

Town Centre is the cultural centre

Art in Town Centre, diversity, draw.

Make Town Centre resilient

Want a busy town centre - needs to be busy.

Concentrate the town centre it’s too spread out

Town centre – not attractive.

Maidstone should be a better place to shop – needs more variety.

Maidstone East – must be good quality including design.

we will Deliver the commercial office space element of Maidstone East ASAP

 

Inward investment is increased from the South East and beyond

Attracting businesses to match the skill set of an area.

Availability of highly paid jobs to encourage people to work in the borough not in London.

Marketing Maidstone – smart town, smart people ‘open for business.’

Making businesses feel welcome – overcoming the past.

Actively marketing Maidstone to businesses – target the London market.

Incentives to attract businesses to rural areas.

Take opportunities on key sites eg Invicta Barracks.

Need to take opportunities for key sites eg Invicta Barracks and influence.

Planning policy? Availability of business premises competing with other areas

Early review of employment land supply and need (local plan review)

Flexibility to adapt large allocated employment sites to suit business need.  (i.e. present large employers leaving).

we will Market Maidstone for inward investment

we will Acquire land/premises to create new space for the light industrial sector for rent and freehold purchase

we will Have a consistent and positive to new business applications

we will Take control by buying land for commercial development

we will Allocate additional employment land in the Local plan & have clear policies

that Planning committee will adhere to.

Investments need to have a return/increase revenue

Attract investors – long term investments in the Borough

Diverse investments – spreading risk

Multiple sectors

Large scale borrowing – PWLB

Improved high speed broadband

Homeworkers need broadband supply.

Homeworking – broadband supply.

Broadband supply.

Connectivity

Rural amenities – 3G/4G patches, swimming pools.

 

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