MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL

STRATEGIC PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY & TRANSPORT COMMITTEE

6 OCTOBER 2015

REFERENCE FROM POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

1.      URGENT DECISION REFERRAL FROM STRATEGIC PLANNING, SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE 8/9/15: LANDSCAPES OF LOCAL VALUE

1.1    At the meeting of Policy and Resources Committee held on 23 September
2015 Members considered a report of the Head of Planning and Development relating to the Decision Referral received in regard to the decision of the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport Committee at its meeting held on 8 September 2015 made in relation to Agenda Item 13: Landscapes of Local Value.

 1.2   The referral set out the desired outcome which was as detailed below:

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’
            

RESOLVED:  That the desired outcome as set out in the Decision Referral be agreed and that the area to be included should reflect as defined currently in the Maidstone Borough Wide 2000 Local Plan proposals map.