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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

 

COUNCIL

 

30 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

REPORT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE TO BE HELD ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2020

 

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME 2020-2022 (SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION) AND MAIDSTONE STATEMENT OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT SEPTEMBER 2020

 

The Council is required to prepare and maintain a Local Development Scheme (LDS).  The LDS outlines the delivery timetable for the Local Plan Review (LPR). The current LDS 2020-2022 was approved in July 2020.  Since this July 2020 iteration, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published proposed reforms to the planning system in England which potentially increase the number of houses that the Council may need to deliver by some 5,325 units during the Local Plan Review period.  The consultation allows for transitional arrangements which, if met, could allow for the retention of the housing numbers currently being planned for.  In order to try to complete the current Local Plan Review before these changes become live, and to allow time to plan properly for such a significant increase, it is proposed to shorten the timescale of the current review.  Hence, the Local Development Scheme has been updated and a new Local Development Scheme 2020–2022 (September 2020 edition) has been produced.

 

To deliver the LPR under the revised LDS, the Council would also be required to amend its Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).  The SCI outlines the Local Planning Authority’s policy for consulting and engaging with individuals, communities and other stakeholders, both in the preparation and revision of the Local Plan and in development control decisions.  It is proposed to reduce the period for public consultations (under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended)) from a minimum of 6 weeks to a minimum of 3 weeks.

 

At its meeting on 22 September 2020, the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee will consider the report and urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development recommending that the Council be recommended to approve the Local Development Scheme 2020-2022 (September 2020 edition) and the Maidstone Statement of Community Involvement (September 2020) with the Maidstone Statement of Community Involvement Covid 19 Temporary Addendum (May 2020) adopted by the Committee on 9 June 2020 forming an Addendum to the Statement until such time that the Covid 19 restrictions allow the changes to be reversed.

 

The report and the urgent update report of the Head of Planning and Development are attached as Appendix A.  The Local Development Scheme 2020-2022 (September 2020 edition) and the Maidstone Statement of Community Involvement September 2020 are attached as Appendices 1 and 2 to the Committee report.

 

The recommendations (if any) of the Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee will be reported orally to the Council at the meeting on 30 September 2020.