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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
LOCAL DEVELOPMENT DOCUMENT ADVISORY GROUP
28 JUNE 2010
REPORT OF HEAD OF SPATIAL PLANNING
Report prepared by Sue Whiteside
1. Core Strategy Spatial Vision and Objectives
1.1 Issue for Decision
1.1.1 To consider a first draft of the spatial vision and objectives of the Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) as set out in this report. The spatial vision and objectives will be refined prior to the approval of the DPD for public consultation.
1.2 Recommendation of Head of Spatial Planning
1.2.1 That the Local Development Document Advisory Group considers the first draft of the spatial vision and objectives for the Core Strategy and provides comments to Officers.
1.3 Reasons for Recommendation
1.3.1 The Council’s
vision for the borough, set out in its sustainable community strategy and
strategic plan, seeks prosperity and vibrancy for Maidstone’s urban and rural
communities whilst retaining and enhancing the borough’s distinctive history,
landscape and character. The vision for Maidstone’s Economic Development
Strategy seeks to create a model 21st century County town as a
distinctive place known for, amongst other things, a dynamic service sector
based economy.
1.3.2 The core strategy will
determine the spatial expression of the Council’s vision for the borough. The
DPD will set out the “Why? What? Where? When? and How?” for a development
strategy to deliver the spatial vision and objectives; the need for planned
growth and regeneration together with supporting infrastructure, within the
context of protecting the borough’s built and environmental assets; the scale
of that development, general locations and timing, and necessary delivery
mechanisms.
1.3.3 The borough has a
complex set of characteristics that require distinctive planning strategies to
achieve the Council’s vision, in order to face the challenges of the 21st
century, and specifically the period to 2026.
1.3.4 The draft spatial
vision takes as a starting point the results of the 2007 consultation on the
draft Core Strategy Preferred Option, and has been revised and updated to best
reflect the current position. The draft set out below will need to evolve as
policies are developed, and will be incorporated into the initial and final draft
Core Strategy DPD for Members’ approval for public consultation.
1.3.5 Members may wish to
consider the following strapline for the Core Strategy and its associated
publicity along the lines of “People Making Maidstone” or “Places for
People at Maidstone”.
1.3.6 At this point,
Members’ views and comments on the vision and objectives are being sought.
New Government proposed changes to the planning system
1.3.7 Members will be
aware of the new Coalition Government’s intention to radically change the
planning system, as signalled in various publications and recent actions of the
new Government, including:
· the reissue of PPS3 (redefining brownfield land to exclude residential gardens)
·
Eric
Pickles MP’s statement of intent to abolish Regional Strategies in part or
whole at the discretion of local planning authorities, including the ability to
set housing supply targets (including gypsy and traveller sites) at local
planning authority level.
1.3.8 However, Regional
Strategies have not been “revoked” as yet and the new plan making system has
yet to be outlined or necessary primary legislation introduced. The housing
targets for Maidstone set out below reflect the policies of the South East
Plan, but there will be opportunities to carefully consider these further
through the Council’s decision making processes as the draft core strategy is
refined before publishing for public consultation and at subsequent stages
before submission for independent examination next year.
1.3.9 The situation is
evolving rapidly, and further information about future direction will be
reported shortly for Members’ decision.
Draft Vision
1.3.10
Core
strategies that have been successfully adopted in recent months tend to include
a long vision (1 to 2 pages) and a number of objectives, and this approach has
been supported by the Planning Inspectorate. However, given the extent and complexity
of Maidstone’s characteristics, it would be more useful to include the detail
of the vision as text (in italics below) and a shorter, more focused spatial vision
(emboldened below) in the core strategy.
1.3.11
By
2026, prosperity will be achieved through sustainable economic growth supported
by the creation of high quality employment opportunities, the regeneration of
key sites, investment in the town centre, and access improvements.
1.3.12
There
will be a first class “traditional” town centre in Maidstone, maintaining its
place as one of the premier town centre “offers” in the region, by creating a
distinctive, accessible, safe and high quality environment for the community to
live, work and shop. The town centre will be transformed by encouraging a wide
range of new development including shops, business, residential development,
cultural and tourism facilities, education and enhanced public spaces.
1.3.13
There
will be an emphasis on sustainable transport access improvements to the town
centre through an integrated approach to transport strategy to promote
Maidstone’s role as a transport hub with national and regional links. By 2026,
the general location of growth will help bring about a step change in the use
of public transport and other sustainable means of travel, coupled with
restraints on parking where this will not prejudice economic growth together
with the creation of new and improved cycle and pedestrian networks.
1.3.14
The
urban area of Maidstone will be revitalised throughout with the regeneration of
key commercial and residential sites and areas of existing social and
environmental problems, and by improving links to surrounding areas that will
create better access to jobs and other facilities.
1.3.15
A
high quality green and blue infrastructure that forms the setting of the urban
area and creates suitable access to the surrounding countryside will be
developed. This will protect and enhance the borough’s rich natural heritage
and wildlife with a special emphasis on rivers and local landscape character.
1.3.16
For
the first part of the delivery of the plan, the focus of development across the
borough will be on brownfield land in the urban area, extending in the latter part
to greenfield land adjacent to Maidstone’s urban area with the prime quantity
of development at a sustainably designed urban extension to the south east of
the town. Growth will be supported by strategic and local infrastructure,
including quality green spaces, sustainable transportation and utilities, as
well as a full range of social and leisure facilities. By 2026 the Maidstone
urban extension will be laid out in a manner that reduces the need to travel
and is designed as an exemplar of low energy consumption and minimal carbon and
other emissions.
1.3.17
To
protect the special character of the countryside and to provide for needs in
rural areas, the role of the rural service centres of Harrietsham, Headcorn,
Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst will be reinforced as the focus of additional
limited housing development, supported by necessary infrastructure and enabling
local choice. New development will be mixed and well integrated with the
existing settlements and will maintain the character and identity of villages.
1.3.18
Development
in smaller rural settlements and the countryside will be tightly restricted to
local needs housing, rural economic diversification and meeting community
needs. The separate identity and unique character of individually distinct
villages and the town will be maintained. The Kent Downs AONB and its setting
will be safeguarded as a national asset, through policies that restrict
development.
1.3.19
Prosperity
will be created by strengthening the borough’s employment, retail and leisure
offers, which should exceed the growth in population with the creation of additional
jobs so that more and better jobs are provided locally. New jobs will be located
where existing infrastructure and new investment in transport and other infrastructure
underpins growth.
1.3.20
There
will be a better mix and balance of housing in the borough, achieved through
the provision of an adequate number, range and mix of housing, including
affordable housing, accommodation for the elderly, local needs housing at rural
settlements, and sites for gypsy and traveller communities.
1.3.21
The
phasing, density and location of development will ensure the best use of
previously developed land and buildings to help regenerate urban areas, and minimise
the necessary release of greenfield land in total, and will make best use of a
finite resource in a manner that protects and enhances the borough’s best built
and natural heritage, including its rivers.
1.3.22
.Development
throughout the borough will be of a high quality, utilising designs that
respond to the distinctive local character of areas. The design of new
development will incorporate sustainability principles, and will take into
account the impact of climate change.
1.3.23
Sustained
development growth throughout the period will be maintained by ensuring an
appropriate supply of suitable development sites, and demanding but realistic
expectations of development to contribute to the provision of the type of
accommodation required to meet needs (including affordable housing) carefully
balanced with a tariff for development contributions to fund necessary
strategic and local infrastructure, and good design quality and sustainable
construction standards of at least national standards.
“By 2026 Maidstone will be a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable community
benefiting from an exceptional and unique urban and rural environment.
The core strategy will help in delivering sustainable growth and regeneration
while protecting and enhancing the borough’s built and natural assets.
Regeneration will be prioritised and delivered at the urban area of the County
town first to make best use of brownfield land, so the release of greenfield
sites to accommodate growth principally at an extension to the south east of
Maidstone’s urban area will be phased after 2016. Development will be
supported by a sustainable and integrated transport strategy, together with
necessary strategic and local infrastructure.
The establishment of a multi-functional green and blue network of open spaces,
rivers and water courses will safeguard biodiversity and define the urban character
of Maidstone while offering access to the countryside, which will be valued in
its own right. The character and identity of villages will be maintained by directing
development and supporting infrastructure to the rural service centres of
Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst.
Employment skills will be expanded to meet an improved and varied range of
local jobs, and there will be a better balanced housing market to meet the
community’s needs. Development will be of high quality design, and constructed
in a sustainable manner to respond to climate change and protect the
environment and biodiversity.”
Draft Objectives
1.3.24
A
number of spatial objectives (emboldened below) have been identified to ensure
the Core Strategy vision is achieved. The effectiveness of these objectives
will be monitored, and performance indicators will be set out in the Core
Strategy.
1.3.25
The
objectives start with the spatial elements of the core strategy, followed by
core policies. This format conforms to government advice and direction on the
content of core strategies, and reflects the document structure that was agreed
by Members of this Group on 24th February 2010.
a) To provide for
11,080[1] new homes and
10,000[2] new jobs,
primarily in skilled employment uses, in the borough alongside developing
learning opportunities.
b) To focus new development at Maidstone town with:
· 90% of new housing built within and adjacent to the urban area of Maidstone town; greenfield development primarily located at an urban extension to the south east of the town
· the aim of providing 60%[3] of new housing across the plan period on previously developed land and through the conversion of existing buildings
·
new
employment allocations in Maidstone town centre and serving the new urban
extension strictly coordinated and targeted with opportunities on the most
suitable greenfield sites only.
c)
To
transform the “offer”, vitality and viability of Maidstone town centre,
including office, retail, further and higher education, leisure and tourism
functions, together with a significant enhancement to the built and natural environment.
d)
To
create an exemplar sustainable and innovative new neighbourhood to the south
east of Maidstone town, of sufficient scale and design to achieve good levels
of local services, green space, mixed development and strategic infrastructure
in a timely manner, and local power generation.
e)
To
consolidate the roles of Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst
as rural service centres with successful village centres, as the focus of the
network of rural settlements, with retained services and regenerated employment
sites.
f)
To
support new housing in the borough’s smaller villages that is of a design,
scale, character and tenure appropriate to the settlement, and support the
retention of services and facilities that meet a local need.
g)
To
safeguard and maintain the distinctive character of the district's landscapes,
particularly the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its setting,
whilst facilitating the economic and social well-being of these areas including
the diversification of the rural economy.
h)
To
respect and enhance the character, extent and biodiversity of green spaces and
the aquatic environment within and around built areas, together with the
linkages between the spaces.
i)
To
ensure that new development takes account of the need to mitigate and adapt to
climate change and improve air quality by locating development to minimise
energy use; promoting travel patterns that reduce the need to travel by car;
developing a greater choice of sustainable transport measures, particularly in
Maidstone town; and supporting water and energy efficiency measures in existing
development, and encouraging renewable energy sources and sustainable drainage
solutions in new development.
j)
To
ensure that a new development is designed to a high quality and makes a
positive contribution to the distinctive character of the area in which it is
situated, including the protection of the built and natural heritage and its
biodiversity.
k)
To
provide for the type of future housing that meets the changing needs of the
borough’s population, including provision for an ageing population and family
housing, affordable housing at x%[4], and accommodation
that meets the needs of the gypsy and traveller community.
l) To ensure that key infrastructure and service improvements needed to support delivery of Core Strategy objectives and policies are brought forward in a co-ordinated and timely manner and that new development makes an appropriate contribution towards any improvements required as a result of new development.
1.4 Alternative Action and why not Recommended
1.4.1 The Core Strategy must contain a locally distinctive strategic vision and supporting objectives that are delivered through the policies of the DPD. The exclusion of either would not support a sound document at Independent Examination.
1.5 Impact on Corporate Objectives
1.5.1 The Core Strategy’s spatial vision and objective reflect the spatial elements of the Council’s Sustainable Community Strategy, the Strategic Plan and the Economic Development Strategy.
1.6
Risk
Management
1.6.1 There are no risks directly arising from this report. Members’ comments are requested to inform future reports.
1.7
Other
Implications
1.7.1
1. Financial
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2. Staffing
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3. Legal
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4. Equality Impact Needs Assessment
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5. Environmental/Sustainable Development
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6. Community Safety
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7. Human Rights Act
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8. Procurement
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9. Asset Management
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1.7.2 There are no specific implications directly arising from this report, although future reports containing Core Strategy policies will impact on a number of issues.
1.8
Relevant
Documents
None
1.8.1 Appendices
None
1.8.2 Background
Documents
None
IS THIS A KEY DECISION REPORT?
No
If yes, when did it first appear in the Forward Plan?
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This is a Key Decision because: ………………………………………………………………………..
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Wards/Parishes affected: …………………………………………………………………………………..
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[1] Note paragraph 1.3.9 of this report which could affect these targets
[2] Note paragraph 1.3.9 of this report which could affect these targets
[3] New PPS3: Housing now excludes residential gardens from the brownfield definition which could impact on the Council’s ability to meet a 60% target
[4] To be confirmed in subsequent report