The Group considered the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment regarding the Maidstone Landscape Character Assessment 2012.

An executive summary and an Amended Appendix C were circulated to Members at the meeting.  Members were informed that this is essentially a document describing landscape character which can be used for land management purposes, through informing policy, landscape guidelines, development proposals and land managers on how to manage their land.

Members raised concern regarding interpretation and consistency within the Landscape Character Assessment (“LCA”) document and felt that the pilot study should include the whole of the Medway Valley that runs through the Borough, rather than stopping at Tovil and that a specific preamble should be included at the beginning of the document to explain the purpose of the document. 

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE CABINET MEMBER FOR PLANNING, TRANSPORT AND DEVELOPMENT:-

1.  That the Maidstone Landscape Character Assessment 2012 be deferred so that a cross party discussion with Officers can take place to identify the inconsistencies and proof read the document and then the amended version be brought to a future meeting of this Group.

2.  That parts of the adopted Maidstone Borough Council Landscape Character Assessment and Landscape Guidelines 2000 be saved and published as the Maidstone Landscape Character Assessment Supplement 2012 (as set out in Appendix B to the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment) as a material consideration in development management planning decisions.

3.  That the methodology of the Landscape Value Pilot Study, as set out in Amended Appendix C to the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment be endorsed.

4.  That the whole of the Medway Valley from Laddingford to Allington Lock be the proposed Pilot Study Area.