Notice has been given pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 13 of the intention to present a petition in the following terms:

We the undersigned request our Elected Representatives in Maidstone Borough to:

• Challenge and campaign against National Government's Housebuilding targets.
• Rethink the building of Garden Communities.  They are not an appropriate planning policy for the Borough of Maidstone, especially in places like Lenham Heath, Marden and Langley as perfect examples.
• Not accept new housebuilding levels that are unsustainable for the Borough of Maidstone.
• Complete a full infrastructure assessment before the Local Plan Review and ensure all historical infrastructure issues are rectified across the Borough before projects commence.
• Be transparent and engage Parish Councils and local communities before any final decisions are made with regards to planning and new developments in the area.

Mr Steve Heeley presented a petition in the following terms on behalf of the Save Our Heathlands Action Group (SOHAG):

We the undersigned request our elected representatives in Maidstone Borough to:

·  Challenge and campaign against national Government's housebuilding targets.

·  Rethink the building of Garden Communities.  They are not an appropriate planning policy for the Borough of Maidstone, especially in places like Lenham Heath, Marden and Langley as perfect examples.

·  Not accept new housebuilding levels that are unsustainable for the Borough of Maidstone.

·  Complete a full infrastructure assessment before the Local Plan Review and ensure all historical infrastructure issues are rectified across the Borough before projects commence.

·  Be transparent and engage Parish Councils and local communities before any final decisions are made with regards to planning and new developments in the area.

In presenting the petition, Mr Heeley said that:

·  The petition had been signed by thousands of Maidstone residents calling upon the Council to rethink its plans on housebuilding.

·  The SOHAG was opposed to the Council’s proposed Garden Community at Lenham.  However, through its work, the Group was finding that there was a lot of opposition to the overall planning approach in the Borough.

·  Many of the people the Group had spoken to appeared resigned to the fact that the Council would carry on with its growth strategy without properly seeking the views of residents.  The petitioners were calling upon Members to hear and listen to the voices of Maidstone residents who were saying “Enough is Enough”.

·  The petition was specifically asking Members to challenge and campaign against national Government’s housebuilding targets and to rethink the building of Garden Communities as this was not considered to be a suitable planning policy approach for the Borough.  The petitioners did not expect the Council to accept new housebuilding levels that are unsustainable for Maidstone and were asking the Council to be transparent and engage with Parish Councils and local communities before any final decisions are made regarding where new development goes.

·  In terms of housebuilding targets, the petitioners were well aware that the Council had made attempts to challenge the targets imposed already but were underwhelmed by the action taken to date which had constituted a few letters to the Secretary of State and a meeting with Civil Servants.  Instead they wanted loud and clear voices against national targets and were calling upon the Council to join forces with MPs across Kent and further afield and the Kent Association of Local Councils to amplify the opposition to these targets.

·  In terms of Garden Communities, the petitioners were calling upon the Council to listen to the many residents who are opposed to this form of growth.  Maidstone residents did not want new towns built in the countryside at the expense of hundreds of acres of greenfield land miles away from the main conurbations.  Garden Communities were the right solution in the right place but were not the right solution for Maidstone.  Existing Garden Communities such as Ebbsfleet in north Kent and Kingshill, West  ...  view the full minutes text for item 156