Agenda item

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.


 

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.