Parish Feedback

 

Maidstone New Draft Strategic Plan, 23rd October 2018

Yalding

Discussion – how can we work together to address these issues

·         Open forums such as these!

·         Come out into the villages.

·         Use local intelligence.

·         More enforcement locally.

·         More communication – two way.

 

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

·         In agreement.

·         Great environmental quality.

·         Safe communities – we feel our villages are safe.

·         Embracing growth

o   But keep individual villages.

o   No urban sprawl.

o   Gridlock.

·         Heritage and culture – encourage tourism.

·         Decent homes: Travellers should be part of local community – NOT a special case!

·         Transport – needs investment.

·         Affordable housing

o   Need more lower priced/starter homes.

o   Stop development of bungalows into family homes.

o   More warden assisted.

Missed!

·         Flooding.

·         Litter.

·         Ring-roads.

 

Discussion – what are the key issues in your parish?

·         Congestion.

·         Flooding.

·         Air pollution.

·         Too much development.

·         Lack of school places.

·         Lack of Doctors surgeries.

·         Public transport is poor, no buses.

·         Juggernauts on the A229.

·         Speeding on A229 in front of schools.

·         Eye sores – brown field site (Syngenta.)

·         Litter – fly tipping.

·         Development leads to lack of definition/identity of villages.

·         Gridlock of roads.

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

Yalding

Embracing Growth – May help with appropriate development, IF delivered sympathetically and in consultation.

 

Left out:

Flooding in borough not addressed in any objectives.

Better transport system – this doesn’t address highway issues!

There currently isn’t a workable integrated transport system!!

People fulfil their Potential

How? Work in rural areas. More incentive to work.

 

 

Discussion – what are the key issues in your parish?

1. Better transport system.

*infrastructure and support new homes.

2. Flooding.

3.*amount of through traffic.

4*large lorries over 7.5 tonnes.

5. Gypsy/traveller growth plots.

6*speed of traffic\volume.

7. less affordable housing.

 

Discussion – how can we work together to address these issues

·         Increase Parish Precept by 300% to empower the parish to get on with it.

·         Stop permitted development.

·         Parish liaison officer.

·         Improve communication up and down. Stuff goes up and sometimes no response back.

·         It is not free flowing communication at the moment.

·         Getting a response, even if it is no. We need to know why something cannot be done.

·         Problems with the telephone system – press 1-8!!! People get frustrated.

·         Clearer ways for people to contact council. List with contact details.  Options with computer good, but … the options …. E.g. reporting a bin missed.

·         Remember planning application out to parishes on time, we only meet once a month.

 

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified? Pg2

1. How will people have responsibility? Clean air!! Pollution from traffic.

2. OK in some communities e.g. shops, pubs. MBC to fund helping to get people together.

3. Housing built in rural areas is not affordable. Communities are not engaged with how their places grow! Top down – not bottom up.

4. You cannot make people have pride.

5. People born and bred in the area are forced out.

6. Done that on previous. Better roads/new roads.

7. As skill levels increase people move away.

8. Need better transport links to get the vehicles out.

Building new homes and business buildings with no other infrastructure put in place.

 

Discussion – how can we work together to address these issues

Yalding

·         Neighbourhood plans.

·         Equal funding in all areas – parished vs non parished. ALL residents should mean ALL residents!

·         Aligned objectives – KCC, MBC, Parishes.

·         Similar group as JTB setting objectives with power.

·         Parishes using JTB to address transport issues.

·         Understanding each other – all authorities share knowledge.

·         Learn from mistakes and admit to them.

 

Discussion – what are the key issues in your parish?

Traffic – volume and speed.

Protecting out landscapes (AONBs, etc) from inappropriate developments.

Over development.

Air pollution.

Fly tipping.

 

 

Discussion – what are the key issues in your parish?

·         Appropriate Development.

o   Volume that can be supported (schools/Drs.)

o   Appearance (fits our environment.)

o   What we need! Not what developers want – affordable, smaller (starter/finisher homes,) bungalows.

o   Consistent policy for all development (same rules for all.)

·         Infrastructure

o   Highways (problems getting in and out and through the parish.)

o   Needs to be sorted before development takes place.

o   Needs to be looked at across borough.

o   Public transport – we have very little and it doesn’t fit together (trains/buses etc.)

·         Flooding

o   Only looking at resilience.

o   Must continue to look for resistance.

o   Continued support needed (Medway flood partnership.)

 

Maidstone New Draft Strategic Plan – 25th October 2018

Lenham

 

 

Discussion – What are the key issues in your parish?

 

What is difference from the previous plan 2015-20?

 

·         Transport

-       Volume – Congestion – Catching up not just new developments.

-       Integration – and lack of.

-       Parking

-       Speed in villages – especially by schools.

 

·         Revitalised town centre

-       Parking.

-       Stop seeing this as a cash cow

-    Support Businesses/community GPS

-    Rates!!

-    Parking

·         Environment – Town Centre

-       Disconnect between urban and rural.

·         Local Plan – review larger villages.  Criteria application eg Boughton Monchelsea – does not fit the vast majority of criteria

·         What progress in 2015-20 Plan          )  Surely a starting

-       Successes                               )  point for this

-       Failures                                   )  consultation too!!!

 

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

 

Starting point needs to be progress in 2015-20 plan – context – should take over from overall aims and objectives.

 

1.   Too bland – all things to all.  People – not a helpful starting point – very broad.

2.   Need to co-ordinate and collaborate (and communicate).

i     Adjoining LAs                )  Utilise local

ii    KCC                              )  knowledge

iii    Parishes (unclear here) )

 

A more joined up approach

 

Objective

·         Housing – Build communities not just houses – sustainable communities

-       include surgeries/shops/community facilities/broadband/parks/recreation/sports etc….. work!!!

·         Smaller villages (inc Boughton Monchelsea) need support to develop infrastructure.

·         Local housing for young local families.

·         Support parishes/local groups to provide and maintain local access to keep families together (who wish to be).

 

Discussion – How can we work together to address these issues?

 

·         Perception issues:  MBC must recognise these issues

-      Listen, understand, and communicate.

-      Truly understand others positions – from parishes to KCC to NHS to transport etc.

 

·         Have shared vision with partners (parishes – KCC – NHS – communities – providers – transport).

·         Build shared teams to deliver shared objectives – lots of shared interests and responsibilities.

·         If necessary use facilitation to get together and work out how to develop shared teams and objectives.

·         Leadership & Accountability – will to provoke action (invite to play) and follow through

·         Stable staff and structure – links to (liaison with) the partners – build relationships.  Include ward members but also officers/departments.

·         Develop a strategy to engage with groups and fun/staff it (include ward members).

 

Discussion – How can we work together to address these issues?

 

1.   Encourage proper working together with KCC – utilities and government departments.

2.   Parishes need influence – need to be listened to.

3.   Should planning and enforcement be out sourced?

4.   Comparative ideas in relation to other European countries.

5.   Need a properly thought out and articulated vision, supported by local parishes.

6.   Need good quality design in fact.

 

Discussion – What are the key issues in your parish?

 

1.   Housing numbers and infrastructure.

-      Infrastructure before housing.

-      Challenge to methodology re housing numbers.

-      Level of CIL set is not adequate.

 

Do the draft objective and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

 

An authority putting forward aims and objective must assume full responsibility for those statements eg Transport and Infrastructure.  Drainage and water supply etc etc.

Maidstone policies are urban – centric

Reduce number of housing.

Dialogue between parishes and borough and real empowerment.

A.O.N.B. – should be mentioned and protected.

 

 

Discussion – How can we work together to address these issues?

 

·         Transparency.

·         Open dialogue.

·         Please listen and hear what we say.

·         Means of communication, paper and online.

·         Rural parishes feel MBC is more urban centric.

·         Officers to come out to parishes to learn about us (in their groups i.e. East of river/west of river, Suttons, Langley etc Detling Stockbury.

Priorities

 

Infrastructure:

 

Traffic

B Band

Medical care

Power

Schools

Roads/pavements

Gas

Sewers/drains

(Mains drainage).

 

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

 

Great environment

1.   Yes – where, how.                                        )  Evidence that MBC

2.   For free?  Too dangerous.                                      )  can work with KCC

3.   Cost of busses – frequency/availability                  )  effectively.

 

Well connected – safe

1.   Police – KCC

2.   Police – KCC

3.   Cost, extract more S106/CIL

4.   Yes

5.   Help with NPs/Money/Advice,

6.   Yes

 

Embracing Growth

 

Infrastructure

 

What is missing

 

·         Maidstone to take notice of NPs and engage with parishes.

·         Advice for NPs

·         Working cooperatively with KCC/Swale/Medway/T&M and T/Wells.

·         Listen and value views of parish councils.

·         Inclusion:  engage properly with gypsy & traveller communities.

·         Explanation of how you intend to improve infrastructure.

·         Sewage/water supply.

Discussion – what are the key issues in your parish?

 

·         Preservation of AONB

·         Windfall housing

·         Nobody born in parish can afford to live/buy in the parish

·         Lack of infrastructure to cope with new houses

·         Loss of Grade II farmland

·         Traffic generated (East Farleigh)

 

Discussion – How can we work together to address these issues?

 

·         Transparent dialogue and consultation with the parish.

·         MBC should meet regularly with parish council chairman/cllrs.

·         Strategic plan that incorporates/embraces: 

Neighbouring Boroughs

KCC

NHS

Water

and so on (and soon)

·         Transparent/Data/Evidence meaningful

·         Stop planning decisions being political!

·         Work more closely with enforcement officers.

 

Do the draft objective and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

 

Objectives

Planning

Enforcement

Correct and justifiable data

Evidence lacking

Transport and infrastructure

Rural needs vs urban needs

Local plan must support rural and urban needs

Small number of strong objectives infrastructure

 

Listen to your parishes and KALC

 

Discussion – What are the key issues in your parish?

 

Issues                   URBAN vs RURAL

 

Transport – existing roads cannot accommodate increased traffic flow.

Lack of infrastructure – GP’s, Schools, Highways, Water Systems.

Planning/Enforcement – G&T – inappropriate nos of dwellings.

 

The high level strategic objectives are laudable in theory but when not supported by substance cannot be truly assessed against the issues of our communities.

 

NEED?!

 

 

Do the draft objectives and outcomes reflect the issues you’ve identified?

 

1.   Environmental – No – Not Strong Enough.

-      Rubbish collections

-      Influence KCC re charge for waste disposal

-      More provision for electric cars.

2.   Heritage – important but not significant.

3.   Embracing growth – No – should be managing growth.

4.   Well “connected”

-      Recognise elderly isolation

5.   Decent home for all – Yes – but subject to viable infrastructure – insist on sustainability.

6.   Better transport – road work co-ordination.  Yes – crucial.

7.   People potential – educational standards.  Yes

8.   Economy – Yes.

 

Discussion – What are the key issues in your parish?

 

Infrastructure

 

-      Roads/cycle paths

-      Public transport

-      Schools

-      Medical

-      Rubbish collection

-      Broad band (high speed for all)

-      Under pressure as additional housing not adding extra facilities.

 

 

Discussion – How can we work together to address these issues?

 

1.   Consult more – public and business

2.   Greater engagement with parish councils and neighbourhood groups

3.   Make use of JPG

4.   Minimum level of participation/on consultants to be valid

5.   Publicise consultations more widely