Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee				8 December 2020
Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report
Final Decision-Maker		Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee
Lead Head of Service		Rob Jarman, Head of Planning and Development
Lead Officer and Report Author		Anna Ironmonger, Planning Officer (Strategic Planning)
Classification		Public
Wards affected		All
Executive Summary
Regulation 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended) requires the Council to publish an Authority Monitoring Report (AMR) on at least an annual basis. The purpose of an Authority Monitoring Report is to monitor progress of the implementation of the local plan and the local plan review and provide information on various matters including progress on engagement under the Duty to Cooperate; and implementation of policies within an adopted local plan and progress towards the meeting of targets. The Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020 (Appendix 1 to this report) meets the statutory requirements and reports on progress made for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. In monitoring the implementation of Maidstone Borough Local Plan policies, the AMR is a source of evidence for the Local Plan Review.
Purpose of Report   For noting
This report makes the following recommendations to this Committee:
1.   That the Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020 be noted
Timetable
Meeting			Date
Strategic Planning and Infrastructure			8 December 2020

Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report

1.       CROSS-CUTTING ISSUES AND IMPLICATIONS

 

Issue	Implications	Sign-off
Impact on Corporate Priorities	We do not expect the recommendations will by themselves materially affect achievement of corporate priorities. However, they will support the Council’s overall achievement of its aims.	Head of Service
Cross Cutting Objectives	The report recommendations support the achievement of all four cross-cutting objectives as the Local Plan Review (which is monitored through the AMR) has consideration for the cross-cutting objectives.	Head of Service
Risk Management	This is part of the evidence base and so accurate description and associated analysis is key particularly around duty to co-operate, Habitats Regulations, Sustainability Appraisal, projection of the 5 year housing land supply and trajectory	Rob Jarman
Financial	There is provision in the budget for preparation of the Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report and, more generally, for work on the Local Plan, so there are no additional financial implications arising from this report.	Section 151 Officer & Finance Team
Staffing	We will deliver the recommendations with our current staffing.	Head of Service
Legal	Accepting the recommendations will fulfil the Council’s duties under the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).	Russell Fitzpatrick MKLS (Planning)
Privacy and Data Protection	No impact identified.	Policy and Information Team
Equalities	The recommendations do not propose a change in service therefore will not require an equalities impact assessment	Equalities and Corporate Policy Officer
Public Health	No impact identified.	[Public Health Officer]
Crime and Disorder	There are no implications for Crime and Disorder.	Head of Service
Procurement	There are no procurement requirements	Head of Service & Section 151 Officer

 

 

 

2.      INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

 

 

2.      

2.1     Through an Authority Monitoring Report (AMR), the Council must provide information on various matters including the preparation of local plans; engagement under the Duty to Cooperate; and implementation of policies within an adopted local plan (Regulation 34 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012) (as amended) (the 2012 Regulations). The Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020 (Appendix 1 to this report) covers the period of 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 and covers the following:

 

·         Overview of the profile of the Borough

·         Progress of the Local Plan Review

·         Progress of Neighbourhood Plans

·         Update on the Community Infrastructure Levy and Infrastructure Funding Statement

·         Engagement with organisations under the Duty to Cooperate

·         Implementation of policies within the adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan (Local Plan Monitoring Indicators)

·         Effects of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan and implementation of the Sustainability Appraisal (Significant Effect Indicators)

 

2.2     The AMR is a corporate document, with inputs from a range of Council departments and uses both internal and external data sources. The Council must publish its Authority Monitoring Report at least annually. The previous iteration of the AMR covered the period of 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 and was considered by this committee on 7 January 2020.

 

 

Development Plan Progress

 

2.3     The Local Development Scheme outlines the delivery programme for the Local Plan Review (LPR). Since the previous iteration of the AMR (2018-2019) the Council has adopted a revised LDS which covers the period of 2020 to 2022. As required by Regulation 34 of the 2012 Regulations, the AMR must set out the timetable for preparation of the LPR. The AMR must also set out the stage the LPR has reached. Table 3.1 from the AMR has been reproduced below to outline the new LPR timetable and whether key milestones have been met.

 

 

 

2.4     Neighbourhood planning is very active in Maidstone Borough. In total there are 16 designated neighbourhood areas. As of August 2020, there are four made (adopted) neighbourhood plans which form part of the Maidstone Development plan: Staplehurst (December 2016 and amended in August 2020), North Loose (April 2016), Loose (September 2019) and Marden (July 2020). Significant progress has been made on the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan. Following a decision taken by this committee in September 2020, the Lenham Neighbourhood Plan will proceed to referendum when the referendum process resumes in May 2021. Paragraph 3.9 of the AMR outlines the progress of other neighbourhood plans in the Borough.

 

2.5     The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Charging took effect from 1 October 2018. The Council is required under Regulation 34 of the 2012 Regulations to published information on CIL matters outlined in the Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) within the AMR. An extract of the IFS can be found at Appendix 2 of the AMR.

 

2.6     Within the AMR, local planning authorities should set out any engagement that has taken place with organisations under the Duty to Cooperate. The Duty to Cooperate places a legal duty on local planning authorities to engage constructively, actively and on an ongoing basis with certain organisations, in order to maximise the effectiveness of local plan preparation in the context of strategic cross boundary matters. It is important that the Council can demonstrate that it has complied with the Duty to Cooperate at the independent examination of the LPR. In line with previous AMRs details of the engagement which has taken place during the monitoring year (between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020) is included as an appendix (Appendix 3) to the AMR discussions have taken place since this time and will be recorded in the next iteration of the AMR.

 

2.7     In monitoring the implementation of policies within the adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan (Local Plan Monitoring Indicators) and the Sustainability Appraisal (Significant Effect Indicators), the AMR is an important source of evidence for the Local Plan Review and demonstrating what policies will need to change as part of the review.

 

 

Monitoring Indicators

 

Local Plan Performance – Maidstone Borough Local Plan Monitoring Indicators

 

2.8     The Local Plan Monitoring Indicators enable the Council to understand the progress of objectives and targets set out in the adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan during the monitoring year of 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020. The indicators cover housing, employment, retail, gypsy and travellers, environment and infrastructure. A summary is provided in the following paragraphs.

 

2.9     There were two reported departures from the adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan. A departure means a failure to implement a policy. In both cases it was a departure from Policy SP17 The Countryside. Paragraph 4.2 of the AMR provides detail on the nature of the departure and concludes that a review of the implementation of Policy SP17 The Countryside is not required. There has been an increase in the number of appeals lodged against the Council’s planning decisions from 78 in 2018/19 to 99 in 2019/20.

 

2.10 In respect of housing delivery, there were 1,304 dwellings (net) completed during the monitoring year 2019/20, bringing the total completed dwellings to 7,741 for the plan period 2011/31. This represents a shortfall of 206 against the nine year target of 7,947 dwellings. This shortfall will be delivered over the next six years (2020 to 2027). On 1 April 2020, the Council can demonstrate a 6.1 years’ worth of housing land supply. There is uncertainty regarding the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 on the delivery of housing. This will be explored in the next iteration of the AMR.

 

2.11 The AMR is based on the current annual requirement of 883 dwellings. It is important to note that the housing target for the Borough will increase as the national standard methodology for calculating housing need is brought into effect, and the date of the Local Plan Review is rolled forward to 2037. New housing targets will be considered through the Local Plan Review (LPR).  

 

2.12 The Council is required to keep a register of individuals and associations who are seeking serviced plots of land for self-build and custom housebuilding. The Council also has a duty to grant planning permission for enough suitable serviced plots of land to meet the demand for self-build and custom housebuilding. In total over the three base periods, 203 individuals and 3 associations have registered an interest. However, only 46 applications for self-build dwellings have been permitted. A policy review will be undertaken as part of the Local Plan Review.

 

2.13 The Council has successfully secured affordable homes on qualifying development sites in strong alignment with the requirements of Maidstone Borough Local Plan policy SP20. The percentage of affordable homes secured in qualifying geographical areas remains broadly aligned with the percentage targets:

·         Maidstone, urban – 26% (against at target of 30%)

·         H1 (11) Springfield, Royal Engineers Road – 13% (against at target of 20%)

·         Countryside/Rural Service Centres/Larger Villages – 36% (against a target of 40%).

 

2.14 Since 2016/17 there has been a net total loss of 32,505 sqm B class employment floorspace. This results in greater pressure to deliver employment land requirements over the remaining years of the plan. As part of the Local Plan Review, the approach to employment land will be reviewed and in the meantime, the Council has agreed to proceed with an Article 4 Direction to limit the loss of office floorspace to residential uses in future. In respect of employment allocations there are extant permissions at EMP1 (1) West of Barradale Farm, Maidstone Road, Headcorn; EMP1 (4) Woodcut Farm, Bearsted Road, Bearsted; RMX1 (1) Newnham Park, Bearsted Road, Maidstone; and RMX1 (4) Former Syngenta works, Hampstead Lane, Yalding.

 

2.15 There has also been an overall loss of retail floorspace since 2016/17. In respect of retail allocations, there is an extant permission at RMX1 (1) Newnham Park, Bearsted Road, Maidstone for refurbishment and extension of existing garden centre buildings (including the enclosure of 2570 sqm gross internal area of existing external retail floor space). As of 1 April 2020, there has been a loss of 6171sqm of retail floorspace. Retail requirements will be reviewed as part of the Local Plan Review. Within the town centre, none of the primary frontages have fallen below the 85% threshold for A1 uses, indicating that the primary frontage is still effective in focusing a core retail provision in Maidstone Town Centre.

 

2.16 Since 2011 the delivery of gypsy and traveller pitches has exceeded the 187 pitch target (based on the 2012 GTAA). On 1 April 2020 the Council can demonstrate a 7.0 years’ worth of deliverable gypsy and traveller pitches. Work is underway on a new Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs Assessment.

 

2.17 During the monitoring year there has been no loss of designated heritage assets, designated wildlife sites or designated open space as a result of development. Qualifying residential and mixed-use sites provided over 3 hectares of on-site open space provision, with no payments for off-site open space provision during the monitoring year.

 

2.18 Work published in the Air Quality Annual Status Report indicates that there has been continued improvement in air quality at identified exceedance areas.

 

2.19 During the monitoring year, there were 7 applications granted planning permission subject to S106 agreements. Each application provided all the contributions sought in accordance with the priorities outlined in Policy ID1(4). As highlighted within the AMR appended to this report, two key highways schemes: HTNW4 - 'capacity improvements at the junction of Fountain Lane and the A26/Tonbridge Road' and HTC1 - 'Linton crossroads junction improvements' were not on track for a timely delivery. All highways and transportation schemes will continue to be closely monitored over the course of the year, however, the impact of Covid on the ability to progress projects during 2020 is likely to result in a reported delay to delivery.

 

Sustainability Appraisal – Significant Effect Indicators

 

2.20 The Significant Effect Indicators enable the Council to monitor the effects of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan. Like the local plan indicators above, the significant effect indicators cover a range of topics and in some instances there is overlap between the two sets of indicators. A summary is provided in the following paragraphs.

 

2.21 As of 2019, according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation, the least deprived lower layer super output area (LSOA) in Maidstone Borough is in Bearsted ward and has a ranking of 32,648. The LSOA is amongst the 10% least deprived areas in the country. The most deprived LSOA in the Borough is located in Parkwood ward and is ranked as 2914. The LSOA is amongst the 10% most deprived areas in the country.

 

2.22 Since 2011 there has been a decrease in the number of pupils achieving NVQ 2 or above of 4.3%, and this is in contrast to the rest of the South East (7.9%).

 

2.23 There has been a general increase in all reported crime both within Maidstone and county wide between 2017/18 and 2019/20. For the Borough, crime rate per 1,000 population has risen from 90 in 2017/18 to 95 in 2019/20 an increase of 6%.

 

2.24 Out of the 1,304 dwellings (net) completed during the monitoring year a total of 351 dwellings (which equates to 27%) were completed on previously developed land. There has been a decline in the percentage of completions on previously developed land, which is to be expected as greenfield sites allocated in the adopted Local Plan are delivered.

 

2.25 Across Kent there has been a reduction in the amount of non-household waste collected between 2014/15 and 2018/2019 of 13.8%, with 35,406 tonnes collected in 2018/19. In Maidstone there has been a decrease in the amount of non-household waste collected of 54.8% with 252 tonnes of non-household waste collected in 2018/19. Between 2011 and 2018 there has been an overall increase of 0.11% in energy consumption within the Borough.

 

 

Summary

 

2.26 The Council continues to make good progress towards the delivery of the objectives and targets set out in the adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan, as well as minimising the effects of the Local Plan. The AMR is an important source of evidence for the Local Plan Review and demonstrating what policies will need to change as part of the review.

 

 

 

3.   AVAILABLE OPTIONS

 

3.1     By virtue of Regulation 34 of the 2012 Regulations the Council (as the local planning authority) has a statutory duty to produce an annual AMR which monitors progress of the local plan and the local plan review.  The Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020 (at Appendix 1) meets that statutory requirement for the period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 and will be made available for inspection in accordance with the statutory requirements contained in Part 9 of the 2012 Regulations which includes publication on the Council’s website.

 

3.2     This report is for noting

 

4.        PREFERRED OPTION AND REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS

 

4.1     This report is for noting only.

 

 

5.       RISK

5.1     This report is presented for information only and has no risk management implications.

 

6.       CONSULTATION RESULTS AND PREVIOUS COMMITTEE FEEDBACK

 

6.1     There is no duty to undertake consultation on an Authority Monitoring Report.

 

 

 

7.       NEXT STEPS: COMMUNICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION

 

7.1     The Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020 will be published on the website.

 

 

8.        REPORT APPENDICES

 

Appendix 1: Maidstone Authority Monitoring Report 2019-2020

 

9.        BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

None