The Senior Planner introduced the report that outlined the details of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s (TWBC) Local Plan Review Regulation 19 consultation, prior to the plan’s submission for examination.

The Council welcomed TWBC’s intention to meet their housing need, with a buffer of circa 1,000 dwellings in place. A range of supporting evidence documents were available and the Regulation 19 plan had been tested against the existing habitat regulations. The dwellings’ delivery would occur through a dispersed growth strategy, through two sites at Paddock Wood/Capel and Tudeley Village. The former site shared a boundary with the Council, and a strategic flood risk assessment had been completed. The Council had requested that the dwellings placement would not adversely affect any areas of Maidstone located downstream of the proposed site.

TWBC had undertaken a Green Belt study, with air quality and transport mitigations proposed to reduce the impact on local roads within the Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone areas. The Council had requested the TWBC give consideration to delivering joint projects in the future, within areas such as active travel and public transport.

It was noted that the draft response outlined in Appendix 1 to the report had already been submitted to TWBC as the deadline was the 4 June 2021; any comments from the Committee would be submitted as an update to the response provided.

A grammatical correction to Appendix 1, to reflect that TWBC was seeking to meet its gypsy pitch need, was requested.

RESOLVED: That

1.  The current consultation on the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Draft Local Plan, be noted; and

2.  The officer level response to the consultation, attached as Appendix 1 to the report, be agreed subject to the insertion of the word ‘to’ to the second to last full sentence on the first page to read:

‘Additionally, we note that TWBC is seeking to meet its gypsy pitch need’.