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MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
CABINET
MONDAY 27 JANUARY 2014
REPORT OF HEAD OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Report prepared by Sue Whiteside
1. Maidstone Borough Local Plan Draft Spatial Strategy: AN UPDATED EVIDENCE BASE, KEY ISSUES, and the SPATIAL VISION and OBJECTIVES
1.1 Issue for Decision
1.1.1 To consider the borough’s objectively assessed need of 19,600 dwellings for the plan period 2011 to 2031 (980 dwellings per annum). Members received a presentation on the outputs of the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) on 9 December 2013 following a series of training sessions on the SHMA. Agreement of the arising objectively assessed need as the basis for determining the borough’s housing target is sought.
1.1.2 To note the potential to provide for up to 17,100 dwellings against objectively assessed need of 19,600 dwellings. Cabinet will be in a position to fully consider the draft provisions when recommended site allocations are presented to its February meeting.
1.1.3 To note the borough’s
objectively assessed need of 37 hectares for office, industry and warehousing
based sectors and at the Maidstone medical campus during the plan period 2011
to 2031. The draft provisions for employment floorspace (offices 39,830m2;
industry 20,290m2; warehousing 49,911m2; medical 98,000m2)
will be given full consideration at Cabinet’s February meeting when site allocations
will be recommended.
1.1.4 To consider the key local issues to be addressed by the Maidstone Borough Local Plan together with the plan’s spatial vision and objectives. These sections of the local plan have been updated (using track changes for ease of reference) to ensure conformity with changing government policy and the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 and subsequent practice guidance, and to reflect any changes in local circumstances.
1.2 Recommendation of Head of Planning and Development
1.2.1 That Cabinet:
i. Agrees the borough’s
objectively assessed housing need of 19,600 dwellings for the local plan period
2011 to 2031 as
the basis for determining the housing provision for the borough;
ii. Notes the currently
identified potential to make provision for 17,100 dwellings, subject to full
consideration of proposed housing site allocations in February 2014;
iii.
Notes
the borough’s objectively assessed need of 37 hectares for office, industry and
warehousing based sectors and at the Maidstone medical campus for the plan
period 2011 to 2031, and the draft provisions for employment floorspace
(offices 39,830m2; industry 20,290m2; warehousing 49,911m2;
medical 98,000m2);
iv.
Approves
the key local issues, as amended, set out in paragraph 1.3.46 of this report;
and
v.
Approves
the spatial vision and objectives, as amended, set out in paragraph 1.3.48 of
this report.
1.3
Reasons
for Recommendation
Introduction
1.3.1 Since the Cabinet
decision[1] to prepare a
single Maidstone Borough Local Plan, Cabinet has received several reports on
groups of local plan policies. Members have given consideration to spatial policies
for urban and rural areas together with more detailed development management
policies.
1.3.2 The spatial
strategy and development targets were initially set out in the Core Strategy,
which was subject to public consultation in September/October 2011. However,
new government guidance, namely the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
published in 2012 (and subsequent draft National Planning Practice Guidance
2013), required the evidence base supporting the spatial strategy to be updated.
Consequently, the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), the Economic
Sensitivity Testing and Employment Land Forecast report, Strategic Housing and
Economic Development Land Availability Assessments (SHLAA and SEDLAA), and the Town
Centre Assessment and Retail Capacity Study have been prepared as part of the
local plan evidence base. In addition, a consultation draft Green and Blue
Infrastructure Strategy has been produced.
1.3.3 In 2011 the council
sought the public’s views on a housing target of 10,080 for the period 2006 to
2026, using a dispersed distribution of development. The main issues raised by
respondents were reported to Cabinet on 25 July 2012. There were mixed
responses to the Council’s 10,080 dwelling target whereby some respondents
supported the target (22 respondents or 5%) while others believed it was too
high or too low (42 respondents or 9%). A proportion of the development
industry proposed a higher target, while residents sought a reduction.
1.3.4 There was a
consensus of support from both the development industry and residents for a
dispersed distribution pattern of development that delivers housing at the
urban fringe and at rural service centres, although a minority of respondents did
object in part or as a whole.
1.3.5 There was support
for the principle of identifying a strategic housing development location to
the north west of the urban area in the vicinity of Allington, although some
objections focused on reducing the amount of housing proposed. A number of
residents and the adjoining local authority unconditionally objected to
development in this location (47 respondents or 10%) on the grounds of
increased traffic congestion, the impact on the landscape, and maintenance of
the strategic gap between conurbations.
1.3.6 There was general
support for the south east strategic housing development location around Park
Wood and Otham (6 respondents or 1%). In the main, objections were from a
minority section of the development industry who objected to a move away from a
strategic development area that would accommodate 3,000 or 5,000 dwellings
supported by a strategic link road.
1.3.7 There was a call
for the inclusion of specific targets for rural service centres, as opposed to
a single target to be distributed amongst the 5 villages[2] (27 respondents or
6%). Part of the development industry wished to see detailed strategic
development site allocations, as opposed to the strategic development locations
identified on the key diagram of the consultation document. Site allocations
within strategic development locations together with specific housing targets
for rural service centres were the subject of a further public consultation in
2012: Core Strategy Strategic Site Allocations. Representations on strategic
site allocations were considered when the allocations were confirmed at the Cabinet
meeting of 13 March 2013. Respondents to the 2012 consultation sought site
specific allocations at the rural service centres as opposed to overall village
targets. The move to prepare a single local plan overcomes this objection.
1.3.8 In December 2012,
Kent County Council issued revised demographic and labour supply forecasts for
Maidstone borough, which took account of the latest CLG household projections.
The forecasts were based on the new local plan period 2011 to 2031 and revealed
an interim housing provision of 14,800 dwellings[3]. Consideration
was given to the findings of the forecasts at the Cabinet meeting of 13 March
2013. This interim figure was never tested through public consultation but
superseded the 10,080 dwelling target for the former plan period (2006/26). The
new SHMA, which has been prepared in accordance with national guidance using
the latest data from CLG and the Office for National Statistics, will supersede
all former demographic forecasts for housing provisions.
1.3.9 This report
focuses on the outputs from updated evidence documents for housing and economic
development and, also taking into account previous consultation representations
together with changes to national planning policy, sets out the consequential
revisions to the local plan spatial vision and objectives and the implications
for the borough’s development targets.
1.3.10
A
further report bringing together all of the policies of the draft Maidstone
Borough Local Plan, including the spatial strategy, development targets and
site allocations, will be presented to Cabinet on 24 February 2014. At the
same meeting, Members will receive supporting reports on the Infrastructure
Delivery Plan and the Community Infrastructure Levy.
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA)
1.3.11
A
Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA) for the borough has been undertaken
as a further piece of evidence to support the preparation of the local plan.
The SHMA has been prepared in partnership with Ashford and Tonbridge &
Malling Borough Councils which were at a similar plan making stage to Maidstone.
Medway Council, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and Swale Borough Council were
invited to take part in the exercise but declined due the stage their local
plans had reached. GL Hearn, a firm of expert consultants in this field, has
undertaken the work for the three authorities.
1.3.12 A number of briefings and training sessions that included time for questions have been held, to assist Members in understanding the complexities of the SHMA. These sessions were well attended by Members.
· 28 August 2013 – Presentation on the methodologies validating the SHMA (and SHLAA/SEDLAA)
· 4 & 11 November 2013 – Presentations/Workshops on the NPPF/NPPG and the importance of objectively assessed needs
· 22 November 2013 – Presentation/Q&A by Planning Advisory Service representative (Jo Lee of Peter Brett Associates) on Meeting Objectively Assessed Need: The SHMA – context and practice examples
·
9
December 2013 – Presentation/Q&A by GL Hearn (Nick Ireland and Justin
Gardner) on the findings of the SHMA and housing provisions.
1.3.13
A
principal purpose of the SHMA is to assess the overall need for additional
housing in the borough for the plan period (2011-31). The NPPF directs that
Local Plans should meet “the full, objectively assessed needs” for both market
and affordable housing within housing market areas as far as this is consistent
with other policies in the NPPF (NPPF paragraph 47). The housing market
area reflects key functional linkages between places where people live and
work.
1.3.14
The
draft National Planning Practice Guidance 2013 (NPPG) sets out how a SHMA
should be undertaken[4]. The guidance
specifies that the basis for calculating the future overall need for housing
must be the latest national household projections published by CLG. The SHMA
has used the interim 2011 based household projections released by CLG in 2013.
These are trend based projections that are an indication of the number of
households that would form if recent demographic trends continued. They are
interim projections, rather than official statistics, because they are based on
the 2011 interim sub-national population projections (SNPP) which only project
population growth to 2021. These population projections are based on the 2011
mid-year population estimates rolled forward from the Census 2011 data and
applying the demographic trends used for the previous 2010-based SNPP. New
SNPP data is expected in spring 2014, and updated CLG household projections are
expected towards the end of 2014. This base information has then been further
refined in the SHMA by examining the key local inputs that fed into the SNPP,
and undertaking a critical assessment of more recent migration data, household
formation rates and housing vacancy rates.
1.3.15
The
conclusion of this analysis is that the SHMA predicts that some 19,600 new
homes would need to be built over the 20 year plan period (2011-2031) for the
full objective need for housing in Maidstone borough to be met, i.e. 980 dwellings
per annum.
1.3.16
Importantly
the methodology and key assumptions which underpin the assessment are common to
the reports for each of the three authorities. This helps add to the rigour of
the reports and means that there has been a consistent approach to the
assessment of housing needs across the whole of the Maidstone housing market area
which encompasses parts of Tonbridge & Malling Borough, namely Aylesford,
East & West Malling, Larkfield and Snodland. The housing market areas have
been based on CLG research of 2010 (The Geography of Housing Market Areas in
England – CURDS). The administrative boundary of Maidstone falls within two
housing market areas: Maidstone and Ashford (Harrietsham & Lenham and
Headcorn wards), although the objectively assessed needs have been
disaggregated by district.
1.3.17
The
extent of the Maidstone housing market area is an important consideration and
the degree of integration with the Medway Towns to the north has been assessed.
The labour market and migration move in both directions between Maidstone and
Medway. However, the SHMA has analysed other factors, in particular the housing
“offer” (house type, size and tenure), the London influence and housing costs,
and concluded that there is justification to distinguish Maidstone from Medway
in market terms.
1.3.18
The
objectively assessed housing need for Maidstone has also been benchmarked
against five and ten year migration trend projections. These provide a useful
sensitivity test, but they do not take account of the impact of population age
profile on migration (both in Maidstone borough and other areas from which
people typically move to Maidstone). Further sensitivity testing of the
objectively assessed housing need was undertaken through the modelling of two
economic scenarios. This confirms that the scale of household growth necessary
to generate sufficient working age people to support the expected growth in the
economy over the same period (2011 to 2031)[5] will not exceed the
objectively housing assessed need of 19,600 dwellings.
1.3.19
The
SHMA also considers the need for affordable housing over the plan period. The
methodology draws together analysis of the number of households currently in
housing need with estimates of how many additional households will require
affordable housing in future years to 2031. The supply of affordable housing
from existing stock re-lets, vacancies and developments in the pipeline is then
derived to establish what the net requirement for new affordable housing will
be. The SHMA concludes that of the total annual requirement of 980 dwellings
needed over the local plan period (2011 to 2031), 324 new affordable homes will
be needed annually between 2013 and 2031. This finding assumes that households
will spend up to 30% of income on housing costs although, in fact, some
households will be willing to spend a greater proportion than this. The private
rented sector will also continue to have some role in providing affordable
accommodation.
1.3.20
The
SHMA is a technical document and is a pivotal piece of the local plan evidence
base. Hence an independent demographer was appointed to review Maidstone’s
objectively assessed need. The demographer has concluded that the objectively
assessed need of 19,600 dwellings set out in the SHMA is the best scenario of
the alternatives tested, and that the results for population, households and
new homes are robust.
1.3.21 Representatives from local authorities, house-builders, planning agents, estate agents and registered providers attended a stakeholder presentation and workshop for the SHMA, which was held on 26 July 2013. The workshop covered the three local authority areas but also drew comparisons with wider trends in Kent and other parts of the country. The key points arising from the event were:
· Some recovery from the bottom of the market in 2007.
·
Recovery
has been variable across different segments of the market and in different
areas:
- Recovery in demand for family homes stronger (particularly small family
homes) whilst flats remain muted
- More established, affluent buyers returned to the market more quickly, first
time buyer activity less so
- Higher value rural locations and areas traditionally linked with the London market
recovering more strongly.
· Future recovery is likely to be gradual, but in higher value areas demand and pricing pressures could return to the market more rapidly.
· Improving access to mortgage availability will be critical to the market recovery. Help-to-Buy is greatly assisting with this, but what happens after will be important. More certainty in the employment market and increases in earnings will also be needed to sustain recovery.
· Greater choice in the supply of sites (particularly more small sites) would help to improve housing delivery and provide an alternative to large scale allocations.
·
The
private rented sector continues to grow apace, but there is a need to ensure it
is aligned with need and that standards are maintained. Demand for older
persons housing and retirement accommodation is also strong.
1.3.22
Following
the Members’ presentation on 9 December 2013, the draft SHMA was published on 9
January 2014 and is available to view or download from the local plan webpage.
At this point in time the SHMA should remain in draft because new national data
on household projections is expected to be released in 2014. Officers will
monitor the implications that may arise from new releases and will report
resultant actions needed to Members.
1.3.23
Meanwhile,
subject to Cabinet decisions in February when land allocations will be recommended,
there is currently potential capacity to make provision for up to 17,100
dwellings over the plan period 2011-2031. This figure includes a yield of 8,210
dwellings from potential new SHLAA sites (in addition to the approved strategic
housing sites), based on the dispersed distribution strategy formerly approved by
Cabinet[6] and the borough’s
environmental and infrastructure constraints.
1.3.24
The
NPPF directs local authorities to identify deliverable housing sites for the
first 5 years (it is implied this starts from the date of adoption of a local
plan). Deliverable sites, including integral infrastructure, must be
available, offer a suitable location, be achievable (with a realistic prospect
of being delivered within those 5 years), and be viable. For years 6 to 10 and,
where possible, years 11 to 15 following adoption (i.e. the last 10 years of
the Maidstone Borough Local Plan period), sites should be developable.
Developable sites must be suitably located, and available and viable at the
point of release. The greater the number of dwellings on sites that are
specifically identified as deliverable/developable, the more robust the local
plan will be. However, the NPPF also allows for the identification of broad
locations for housing in this latter period. Three broad development locations
yielding a potential 3,000 dwellings will be presented to Members in February.
1.3.25 This appraisal would currently result in an unmet need of 2,500 dwellings which represents 13% of the objectively assessed need. The council will need to be in a position to robustly defend any constraints to development, and to demonstrate what measures have been taken to fully meet the objectively assessed need. These measures will be discussed in more detail in the February reports when development targets are considered, but are likely to include a further call for sites as part of the public consultation process, a reappraisal of the reasons why sites previously submitted have been rejected, and ultimately whether (under the duty to cooperate) unmet need can be satisfied by neighbouring authorities.
Objectively Assessed Need and Housing Land Supply |
Dwellings |
Totals |
Objectively assessed housing need |
|
19,600 |
|
|
|
Completed dwellings 2011/12 and 2012/13 |
1,503 |
|
Planning permissions at 1 April 2013 |
1,850 |
|
Planning permissions 1 April to 1 October 2013 |
246 |
|
Planning permissions – outstanding Section106 Agreements at 1 October 2013 |
107 |
|
Land allocations – approved strategic sites |
2,140 |
|
Land allocations – potential SHLAA sites |
8,210 |
|
Total potential housing land supply (approx.) |
|
14,100 |
|
|
|
Potential broad locations for housing development |
3,000 |
|
Total potential housing land supply including broad locations |
|
17,100 |
|
|
|
Unmet housing need (19,600 less 17,100) |
|
(2,500) |
Constraints to Development
1.3.26
The
NPPF makes distinctions between the hierarchy of international, national and
locally designated sites, so that protection is commensurate with their status.
Whilst the NPPF gives weight to the protection of international and national
designations, this does not downgrade local designations for landscape or
wildlife sites in plan making, and such sites are not suitable for development
but a strong case for their protection must be made. Another important and
common theme that runs through the NPPF is the need for viable infrastructure
to support new development. The local plan must ensure that new and expanded
infrastructure requirements generated by land allocations can be met.
1.3.27
Of
international importance in Maidstone is the North Downs Woodlands Special Area
of Conservation (SAC). The borough includes 23 nationally important Sites of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI); and 63 Local Wildlife Sites (LWS) and 2
Local Nature Reserves (LNR) which are locally important. A large area of the
borough lies within the Kent Downs AONB, a nationally important landscape
designation where a strong level of protection is given. A strong level of
protection is also given to the small section of the Metropolitan Green Belt
that lies to the west of the borough. These areas are protected but they are
not sacrosanct.
1.3.28
All
landscapes have some value, but they cannot all be protected, so at the local
level the focus must be on protecting the borough’s best landscapes. Of
particular local significance are the borough’s river valleys (the Medway,
Loose and Len) and the scarp face of the Greensand Ridge. Local plan policies
identify and safeguard such areas, although there are currently no major
pressures for housing development in these locations.
1.3.29
In
other parts of the borough where sites have been submitted for consideration
through the call for sites, local constraints have been examined through the
site assessment pro forma[7]. The pro forma has
been used to assess each potential development site submitted through the SHLAA
call for sites (and the SEDLAA) in order to achieve a consistent and
transparent approach. The mitigation of constraints - local landscape,
ecology, highways, services, flooding and so on - has formed part of the
assessments. In accordance with the requirements of the NPPF, the
availability, locational suitability, deliverability and viability of each
potential development site has been examined, and the results will be available
to assist Member decision making in February.
1.3.30
There
are often solutions to overcoming infrastructure constraints. A new school or
community centre can be built; open space or play equipment can be provided;
and increased traffic congestion can be addressed through new public transport
schemes and highway improvements.
1.3.31 So if the council cannot fully meet its objectively assessed housing need, it must establish a strong case of constraint to development within the borough, and demonstrate that neighbouring authorities have fewer constraints.
Sustainability
Appraisal and Testing of Development Options
1.3.32
Consultants
URS have been commissioned to prepare the sustainability appraisal (SA) for the
local plan. The production of an SA is required under EU regulations and planning
law, and it is an appraisal of the economic, environmental, and social effects
of a plan (and its policies) from the outset of the plan preparation process.
An SA is an iterative process that allows decisions to be made that accord with
sustainable development.
1.3.33
A
key purpose of the SA is to appraise development options for the local plan.
The emerging Maidstone Borough Local Plan has a strategy of directing
development to the most sustainable locations, in particular making best use of
previously developed land (brownfield sites). Brownfield sites within an urban
area have access to existing infrastructure and can generally be developed at
higher densities, thus reducing the need to release greenfield sites for
development. This approach accords with the principles of the NPPF and the aims
of this council. Regeneration of the town centre is one of the key objectives
of the local plan, and every effort has been made to identify potential
redevelopment sites over and above those that were submitted through the SHLAA
call for sites in December 2013/January 2014. Local plan policies encourage a
regeneration approach through the allocation of brownfield sites for
redevelopment and by requiring a lower affordable housing contribution on
brownfield sites within the urban area in order to encourage regeneration.
1.3.34
In
the past 10 years, a high percentage of development has been built on
brownfield sites (between 85% and 96% annually). This was a result of
introducing a moratorium on the release of greenfield land allocated in the
Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan (2000) following the publication of an urban
capacity study in 2002. This trend cannot be sustained and the moratorium has
been lifted to enable the council to meet short and long term housing
provisions. The need for greenfield sites is compounded by national policies
that are leading to considerably higher annual housing targets than previously
experienced. New homes are needed because of a growing population, people are
living longer and there are more elderly people in smaller households, new jobs
are being created and, over the past decade, there has generally been a level
of net in-migration into the borough (both internal migration from other parts
of the Country and international migration).
1.3.35
There
is a clear hierarchy in determining which locations are the most sustainable
for allocating new development sites. Following the redevelopment of
brownfield sites within settlement boundaries, the most sustainable location
for greenfield development is adjacent to the currently defined[8] urban boundary,
where access to services is greatest and best use can be made of existing
infrastructure. However, not all development needs can be accommodated here
because of environmental and infrastructure constraints. Seven rural service
centres form the second tier in Maidstone’s settlement hierarchy. These
centres act as a focal point for trade and services for wider communities,
providing a concentration of public transport, employment and community
facilities. Rural service centres are Maidstone’s most sustainable villages
and are able to accommodate further development. Three larger settlements form
the third tier of the settlement hierarchy. These villages have a smaller
range of services than rural service centres, but still meet the day-to-day
needs of local communities. Where appropriate, larger settlements can
accommodate some limited development.
1.3.36
The
SA is appraising various options that follow the settlement hierarchy, and is
also assessing the impact of the Golding Homes’ proposal for a new settlement[9], which was
submitted during the call for sites. The SA will appraise three targets for
housing: 19,600 dwellings (objectively assessed need), 17,100 dwellings (draft
capacity to date including broad locations for development), and 14,100 dwellings
(draft capacity to date excluding broad locations for development). The SA will
also appraise these targets against the various distribution options for
development: a dispersed pattern of development, with and without broad
locations for development and/or the new settlement. This will compare a
strategy of development dispersal with one of a new settlement together with a reduced
dispersal of development. These options will be tested against their ability
to deliver the objectively assessed need for housing, but will be balanced by
sustainability indicators including flooding, health, poverty, education,
congestion, climate change, biodiversity, countryside, heritage, waste, energy
and economy.
Sustainability Appraisal: Housing development options |
||
1 |
19,600 |
Dispersed and broad locations |
2 |
19,600 |
Dispersed, broad locations and a new settlement |
3 |
17,100 |
Dispersed and broad locations |
4 |
17,100 |
Dispersed and new settlement |
5 |
14,100 |
Dispersed only |
6 |
14,100 |
Dispersed and a new settlement |
1.3.37 The results of the appraisal will be available prior to the February reports when Members will consider the housing target and distribution pattern of development.
Employment Land Forecast
1.3.38
An
updated employment land forecast has been prepared as evidence for the local plan,
which will replace the employment forecast published in 2013 that was based on
housing provisions of 14,800 dwellings. The new forecast uses a different methodology
than previous for a number of reasons, not least to enable economic growth opportunities
to be assessed objectively and then used to inform the housing growth
discussion. The forecast has been produced by the consultancy firm GVA which
has undertaken such forecasting work for the council in the past.
1.3.39
The
approach used in this forecast looks first at the different sectors in the
local economy and establishes which sectors are projected to grow or contract
(in terms of jobs), and by what percentage, over the lifetime of the plan. The
basis for this assessment is the nationally recognised Experian forecast for
the borough. This has then been refined where more detailed local factors
support a higher or lower growth rate than is predicted by Experian, which
provides a more strategic analysis of the economy. In particular, the forecast
has taken account of potential employment growth at the medical campus proposed
at junction 7 of the M20; an allowance has been made for market “churn”,
calculated from the average annual construction rate of space within the borough;
and the impact of changing working practices by sectoral activity in the
borough has been appraised. The output of this sectoral analysis is an
employment (jobs) forecast for all of the sectors in the local economy.
1.3.40
This
jobs forecast is then converted into a land requirement for those sectors which
will need new office, industrial or distribution/ warehousing floorspace for
the full local plan period 2011 to 2031 (i.e. the B use classes). The creation
of a total of 14,394 jobs between 2011 and 2031 are forecast across all
employment sectors, of which 7,933 will be in the office, industrial and
warehousing based sectors and at the Maidstone medical campus, including KIMS[10]. Total figures in
the table below vary due to rounding.
2011-2031 |
Job creation |
Floorspace (m2) |
Land (hectares) |
Office |
3,053 |
39,830 |
2.7 |
Industrial |
226 |
20,290 |
5.1 |
Warehouse |
453 |
49,911 |
10.0 |
General requirement |
3,733 |
110,030 |
17.7 |
Medical |
4,200 |
98,000 |
19.0 |
Total (incl. medical) |
7,933 |
208,030 |
37.0 |
1.3.41
The
council’s ability to meet its employment provisions through new land
allocations, together with the distribution of development, will be given
consideration by Members through the February reports.
Retail Capacity Study
1.3.42
Members
have received a presentation on the Maidstone Town Centre Assessment and the
Retail Capacity Study, produced by consultants DTZ, and both documents have
been published on the local plan webpage. At its meeting on 4 December 2014, Cabinet
approved the retail provisions set out in the appended policies to that
report. Two retail allocations at Maidstone East/Royal Mail Sorting Office and
Newnham Park were approved, and the Mall was identified as a future broad
location for retail growth.
1.3.43
The
Maidstone Retail Capacity Study assessed the quantitative needs for retail
development to 2031. The RECAP model was used in forecasting: an empirical step-by-step
model based on the results of the 2012 Maidstone Household Survey of shopping
patterns as its method of allocating retail expenditure from catchment zones to
shopping destinations. The model is therefore based on consumer responses about
actual shopping patterns.
1.3.44
The
Retail Capacity Study was based on an interim provision of 14,800 dwellings.
The consultants have considered the outputs in the context of increased
provisions, and concluded that the population forecasts used for the purpose of
the Maidstone Retail Capacity Study are consistent with a provision for 17,100
dwellings. For information and completeness, the retail provisions are
reproduced below. The provisions are cumulative for each year.
Retail provisions |
2016 |
2021 |
2026 |
2031 |
Comparison (m2) |
5,500 |
12,400 |
18,800 |
23,700 |
Convenience (m2) |
3,700 |
4,400 |
5,250 |
6,100 |
Key Local Issues, Spatial Vision and Spatial Objectives
1.3.45
The
challenge for the local plan is to manage the potential impacts of future
housing and employment growth, together with supporting infrastructure, to
ensure that development takes place in a sustainable manner that supports the
local economy whilst safeguarding valuable natural and built assets. The
borough’s key local issues were initially identified in the Core Strategy[11],
and the same document set out the council’s spatial vision and spatial
objectives for the borough. These have been updated to ensure conformity with
changing government policy and the publication of the NPPF and subsequent
guidance, and to reflect any changes in local circumstances.
1.3.46 Revisions to the key local issues set out in the Core Strategy 2011 are set out below (deletions are shown in strike through text and additions in italic text). The revisions will be carried forward to the Maidstone Borough Local Plan for further public consultation (Regulation 18) following Member decisions on the plan in February.
Key Local Issues
1. Where, when and how much development will be distributed throughout the borough;
2. Maintenance of the distinct character and identity of villages and the urban area;
3. Protection of the built and natural heritage, including the Kent Downs AONB and its setting and areas of local landscape value;
4. Provision of strategic and local infrastructure to support new development and growth including a sustainable integrated transport strategy, adequate water supply, sustainable waste management, energy infrastructure and social infrastructure such as health, schools and other educational facilities;
5. Improvements to quality of air within the air quality management area (AQMA);
6. Regeneration of the town centre and areas of social and environmental deprivation;
7. Redressing the low wage economy by
expanding the employment skills base to target employment opportunities and
improving higher and further education opportunities to target employment
opportunities in green technologies including low carbon energy production;
8. Meeting housing needs by delivering
of vulnerable groups including young people, affordable housing, local
needs housing, accommodation for the elderly, accommodation to meet Gypsy and Traveller
needs and accommodation to meet rural housing needs;
9. Promotion of the multi-functional nature of the borough’s open spaces, rivers and other watercourses;
10. Ensuring that all new development is built to a high standard of sustainable design and construction; and
11. Ensuring that applications for development adequately address the impact of climate change, especially the issues of flooding and water supply.
1.3.47
The
Maidstone Borough Local Plan is the spatial interpretation of the vision and
priorities set out in the Maidstone Community Strategy[12].
The local plan also has regard to other corporate documents, in particular the
Strategic Plan 2011-2015 (2013-2014 Refresh), the emerging Green and Blue
Infrastructure Strategy and the Housing Strategy 2011/12 to 2014/15. Spatial
Policy officers work closely with colleagues in these departments and also with
other departments such as Development Management, Economic Development, and
Environmental Health. The policies of the local plan aim to deliver the plan’s
vision and objectives.
1.3.48 Revisions to the spatial vision and objectives set out in the Core Strategy 2011 are set out below (deletions are shown in strike through text and additions in italic text). The revisions will be carried forward to the Maidstone Borough Local Plan for further public consultation (Regulation 18) following Member decisions on the plan in February.
Spatial Vision
By 2026 2031:
·
The
Core Strategy Maidstone Borough Local Plan will deliver
sustainable growth and regeneration whilst protecting and enhancing the
borough’s natural and built assets;
·
Development
will be guided by a sustainable and the delivery of the
integrated transport strategy together with the timely provision of appropriate
strategic and local infrastructure;
·
Maidstone
town will be a an enhanced vibrant, prosperous and
sustainable community benefiting from its an exceptional urban
and rural environment with a vital and viable Maidstone town centre
·
The
character and identity of rural settlements will be maintained roles
of the rural service centres will be reinforced by directing suitable
development and supporting infrastructure to the rural service centres of
Coxheath, Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden, and Staplehurst and
Yalding;
· The roles of the larger rural settlements of Boughton Monchelsea, Eyhorne Street (Hollingbourne) and Sutton Valence will be maintained through the delivery of limited development, where appropriate, together with supporting infrastructure;
· The distinctive character of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its setting, together with the openness of the Metropolitan Green Belt, will be rigorously protected and maintained;
· Employment skills will be expanded to meet an improved and varied range of local jobs;
· There will be a better balanced housing market to meet the needs of the community across the whole borough; and
· Development will be of high quality sustainable design and construction to respond to climate change and to protect the environment.
Spatial Objectives
1. To provide for 10,080 new homes and
10,000 new jobs a balance of new homes and related retail and employment
opportunities, with an emphasis on increasing skilled employment
opportunities in the borough alongside developing learning opportunities.
2. To focus new development mainly
within the Maidstone urban area with:
i. 80% of new housing built within and
adjacent to the urban area of Maidstone with appropriate sustainable greenfield
development being well located in relation to existing services in the urban
area Principally within[13]
the Maidstone urban area and at the strategic development locations at the edge
of town, including junction 7 of the M20 motorway;
ii. The aim of providing 60% of new housing
across the plan period on previously developed land and through the conversion
of existing buildings
ii. New employment land allocations to be
exploited in Maidstone
Town Centre first co-ordinated with
opportunities on the most suitable greenfield sites to provide for a suitable
mix of employment opportunities To a lesser extent at the seven rural
service centres of Coxheath, Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden, Staplehurst
and Yalding[14]
consistent with their range of services and role; and
iii. The creation of opportunities to
provide for local power generation Limited development at the three
larger settlements of Boughton Monchelsea, Eyhorne Street (Hollingbourne) and
Sutton Valence where appropriate.
3. To transform the offer, vitality and
viability of the Maidstone town centre including its
office, retail, residential, further and higher education, leisure,
cultural and tourism functions together with significant enhancement of its
public realm and to the natural and built environment particularly
in respect of including the riverside environment.
4. To consolidate reinforce
the roles of the rural service centres through the retention of existing
services, the addition of new infrastructure where possible, and the
regeneration of employment sites at Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham,
Marden and Staplehurst as the focus of the network of rural settlements with
retained existing services and regenerated employment sites including the
expansion of existing employment sites where appropriate.
5. To support new housing in the smaller
villages that meet local needs and is of a design, scale, character and
location appropriate to the settlement and which supports the retention of
existing services and facilities.
6. To safeguard and maintain the character
of the district’s borough’s landscapes including the Kent Downs
AONB and other distinctive local landscapes of local value whilst
facilitating the economic and social well-being of these areas, including the
diversification of the rural economy.
7. To retain and enhance the character of the existing green and blue infrastructure and to promote linkages between areas of environmental value.
8. To ensure that new development takes
account of the need to mitigate the impacts of climate change, implementing
sustainable construction standards for both residential and non-residential
schemes. and adapt to climate change and also to improve air quality by
locating development to minimise the use of resources, to promote sustainable
travel patterns, to develop a greater choice of transport measures, to support
water and energy efficiency measures and to encourage renewable energy sources
and sustainable drainage solutions.
9. To ensure that new development is of high quality design, making a positive contribution to the area including protection of built and natural heritage and biodiversity.
10. To provide for future housing that meets the changing needs of the
borough’s population including provision
for an increasingly ageing population and family housing, an appropriate tenure
mix, affordable housing, and accommodation to meet the needs of the local
Gypsy and Traveller community.
11. To ensure that key infrastructure and
service improvements needed to support delivery of the Core Strategy Maidstone
Borough Local Plan objectives and policies are brought forward in a
coordinated and timely manner, and that new development makes an appropriate
contribution towards the infrastructure needs arising as a result of such new
development.
1.3.49 The
need (or otherwise) for junction 8 of the M20 motorway to assist in delivering
the borough’s employment requirements will be given consideration by Members in
February. This may result in an amendment to objective 2(i).
Conclusion
1.3.50 This report
seeks Members’ approval of the amendments to the key local issues, the spatial
vision and spatial objectives of the emerging Maidstone Borough Local Plan; and
seeks agreement of the objectively assessed housing need of 19,600 dwellings.
Members are requested to note the current draft housing provision of 17,100
dwellings; and the draft provisions for employment floorspace (offices 39,830m2;
industry 20,290m2; warehousing 49,911m2; medical 98,000m2).
Targets for housing, employment and retail will be given consideration by
Members in February, together with site allocations.
1.4 Alternative Action and why not Recommended
1.4.1 The key decision arising from this report is the agreement of the borough’s objectively assessed need of 19,600 dwellings. The NPPF aims to significantly boost the supply of housing land and the basis for calculating a borough’s housing need is the most up-to-date Office for National Statistics data releases and CLG trend based population and household projections. The SHMA takes account of the latest national demographic data and has examined local factors such as migration patterns, household formation and vacancy rates. The next step is for the local authority to use its evidence base to demonstrate how (and if) it can fully meet objectively assessed need through the SHLAA, constraints mapping, infrastructure assessments and sustainability appraisal. To reject the objectively assessed need of 19,600 dwellings would result in the local plan being found unsound at examination.
1.5 Impact on Corporate Objectives
1.5.1 The Maidstone Borough Local Plan will assist in delivering the spatial objectives of the Maidstone Community Strategy and the Strategic Plan. It will also have regard to objectives set out in other corporate documents, in particular the Housing Strategy. The local plan will support the council’s priorities for Maidstone to have a growing economy and to be a decent place to live, through the policy framework against which planning applications are judged and through the allocation of land for development. The consultation processes will strive to meet corporate and customer excellence.
1.6
Risk
Management
1.6.1 The council still
has a local planning policy framework that comprises adopted development plan
documents and supplementary planning documents, endorsed guidance, and saved
policies from the Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan 2000. These policies are
still relevant and carry weight in the decision making processes provided there
is no conflict with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). However,
the council has a duty to maintain an up-to-date policy framework, and current
policies are increasingly becoming outdated or are in conflict with the NPPF.
It is important to maintain the momentum for the preparation of the Maidstone
Borough Local Plan and to reach a consensus that the local plan is fit for
public consultation. Establishing objectively assessed housing need is part of
that process.
1.6.2 The borough’s
objectively assessed need has been determined through the SHMA using expert
consultants in this field. To give greater confidence that the SHMA, as a critical
part of the local plan’s evidence base, will be found sound at examination, an
independent demographer has reviewed the assumptions behind the figures and
concluded they are robust.
1.7 Other Implications
1.7.1
1. Financial
|
X
|
2. Staffing
|
|
3. Legal
|
X
|
4. Equality Impact Needs Assessment
|
|
5. Environmental/Sustainable Development
|
|
6. Community Safety
|
|
7. Human Rights Act
|
|
8. Procurement
|
X |
9. Asset Management
|
|
1.7.2 Financial: A dedicated budget has been identified to undertake the work relating to the preparation of the local plan. The commissioning of consultants and legal advice can be accommodated within that budget.
1.7.3 Legal: Legal services have been retained to offer advice on document content and processes to ensure the Maidstone Borough Local Plan is found sound at examination. A number of meetings have been held with Counsel and the Head of Legal Services. These services can be managed within the existing budget for local plan production.
1.7.4 Procurement: Although
additional evidence base work is being prepared in-house where possible, it is
necessary to employ consultants on short term contracts to undertake specialist
pieces of work. Appointments are in accordance with the Council’s procurement
procedures and the costs can be managed within the existing budget for local
plan production.
1.8
Relevant
Documents
Strategic Housing Market Assessment 2013 http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/44656/Strategic-Housing-Market-Assessment-2014.pdf
Retail Capacity Study 2013 http://www.maidstone.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0013/34150/Retail-Capacity-Study-2013.pdf
1.8.1 Appendices
None
1.8.2 Background
Documents
None
IS THIS A KEY DECISION REPORT? THIS BOX MUST BE COMPLETED
Yes No
If yes, this is a Key Decision because: the report affects local plan policies, plans and strategies
Wards/Parishes affected: all wards and parishes |
[1] Cabinet 13 March 2013
[2] Originally included Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst
[3] Based on 10-year trend-based projections 2011 to 2031.
[4] There is further advice on how to prepare a SHMA. PAS published “10 key principles for owning your own housing number – finding your objectively assessed needs”, and there is an online tool “What Homes Where” which is a website set up by professional bodies, charities and trade association professionals with an interest in planning for housing.
[5] Between 15,783 dwellings and 18,560 dwellings
[6] Cabinet reports 9 February 2011, 10 August 2011 and 25 July 2012
[7] Approved by Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development, via Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 22 March 2013
[8] Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan 2000
[9] Proposal for a freestanding garden suburb, accommodating 4,500 new homes on greenfield sites located to the south east of the urban area.
[10] Kent Institute for Medicine and Surgery
[11] Core Strategy Public Consultation Draft 2011 (Regulation 18 consultation)
[12] Maidstone Community Strategy 2009-2020 (refreshed July 2013)
[13] Land allocations will be made within and adjacent to the boundaries of the urban area, rural service centres and larger settlements as defined in the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2000. A consequence of allocating land is the amendment of boundaries so that new sites become part of those settlements. To state that allocations will be made “adjacent” to settlements implies further development would be acceptable outside settlement boundaries following adoption of the local plan.
[14] The primary development site at Yalding is the former Syngenta works, where flood mitigation measures will be an essential part of new development proposals.