Agenda item
Report of the Head of Planning and Development - Urgent Decision Referral from Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee 8/9/15: Landscapes of Local Value
- Meeting of Policy and Resources Committee, Wednesday 23rd September, 2015 6.30 pm (Item 56.)
- View the background to item 56.
Decision:
That the desired
outcome as set out in the Decision Referral be agreed, as
follows:-
Paragraph 5.78 will read: The Low Weald covers a significant
proportion of the countryside, in the rural southern half of the
Borough. The Low Weald is recognised as
having distinctive landscape features: the field patterns, many of
which are medieval in character, hedgerows, stands of trees, ponds
and streams and buildings of character should be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate.
Criterion 6 sentence will read: The
Greensand Ridge, Medway Valley, Len Valley, Loose Valley and Low
Weald, as defined on the policies map, will be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate as landscape of local
value.
It was noted that the area to be included should reflect as defined
currently in the Maidstone Borough Wide 2000 Local Plan proposals
map.
Minutes:
The Committee
considered the referral relating to the decision of the Strategic
Planning Sustainability and Transportation Committee at its meeting
on 8 September 2015 made in relation to Agenda Item 13: Landscapes
of Local Value.
The referral set out the desired outcome as follows:-
Paragraph 5.78 to read ‘The Low Weald covers a significant
proportion of the countryside, in the rural southern half of the
Borough. The Low Weald is recognised as
having distinctive landscape features: the field patterns, many of
which are medieval in character, hedgerows, stands of trees, ponds
and streams and buildings of character should be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate. The necessary protection for the area of the
Low Weald outside the boundaries of the rural service centres as
defined on the policies map is provided under the criteria of
policy SP5.’
and
“Criterion 6 sentence to read: ‘The Greensand Ridge,
Medway Valley, Len Valley and Loose Valley and
Low Weald, as defined on the policies map, will be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate as landscapes of local
value;”
There was concern that the Low Weald had been identified as a
Special Landscape Area in the currently adopted Maidstone Borough
Wide Local Plan 2000 and endorsed at the public inquiry into that
plan and that it had been subsequently removed from the current
draft Local Plan.
Officers clarified
that the Low Weald had not been removed from the draft Maidstone
Borough Local Plan and it did not form part of the initial
Regulation 18 Consultation draft in March 2014. The reason for this was that there had been a
change in Government Policy on the issue of landscape designations
since the currently adopted Maidstone Borough-wide Local Plan 2000
had been adopted.
Members were reminded that in the Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan
2000 only a proportion of the Low Weald was actually designated,
largely centred on the east of the Borough, including Headcorn but
not stretching as far as Staplehurst or Maidstone (with the
exception of a small area immediately east of Staplehurst
unconnected to any other part of the Low Weald SLA).
RESOLVED: That the
desired outcome as set out in the Decision Referral be agreed, as follows:-
Paragraph 5.78 will read: The Low Weald covers a significant
proportion of the countryside, in the rural southern half of the
Borough. The Low Weald is recognised as
having distinctive landscape features: the field patterns, many of
which are medieval in character, hedgerows, stands of trees, ponds
and streams and buildings of character should be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate.
Criterion 6 sentence will read: The
Greensand Ridge, Medway Valley, Len Valley, Loose Valley and Low
Weald, as defined on the policies map, will be protected,
maintained and enhanced where appropriate as landscape of local
value.
It was noted that the area to be included should reflect as defined
currently in the Maidstone Borough Wide 2000 Local Plan proposals
map.
Voting: For:
14
Against:
0
Abstentions:
0
Councillor Garland arrived part way through the debate on this item
and was therefore not able to take part in the discussions or
vote.
Supporting documents:
- Landscapes of Local Value, item 56. PDF 75 KB View as HTML (56./1) 71 KB
- Appendix One: Record of Decision SPS&T Committee 18.08.15 Landscapes of Local Value, item 56. PDF 497 KB
- Appendix Two: SPS&T 08.09.2015 Urgent Update Report Item 13, item 56. PDF 8 MB
- Appendix Three: Record of Decision SPS&T Committee 08.09.15 Landscapes of Local Value, item 56. PDF 948 KB
- Appendix Four: Referral Notice relating to Landscapes of Local Value, item 56. PDF 3 MB