MAIDSTONE BOROUGH COUNCIL
PLANNING, TRANSPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE
20 august 2013
REPORT OF Chief Executive
Report prepared by Emma Boshell
1. Maidstone Borough Local Plan PUBLIC CONSULTATION
1.1 Key Issue for Decision
1.1.1 To consider the council’s approach towards public consultation on the Maidstone Borough Local Plan (MBLP).
1.2 Recommendation of the Chief Executive
1.2.1 That the Planning, Transport and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommend that the Cabinet Member for Planning, Transport and Development approves the consultation plan for the Maidstone Borough Local Plan (MBLP) attached at Appendix A.
1.3 Reasons for Recommendation
1.3.1 The consultation plan sets out the methods that the council will employ in order to raise awareness of the MBLP, encourage feedback and to ensure that the consultation reaches out and involves as many of the borough’s residents, businesses and other stakeholders as possible.
1.3.2 Background and introduction
1.3.3 In March 2013 Cabinet agreed to move forward with a single Local Plan for the period 2011 to 2031.
1.3.4 In accordance with the local plan programme, set out in the Local Development Scheme 2013, it is proposed to undertake a six week public consultation in November/December of this year, as set out under Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. This stage of public consultation is reasonably flexible and informal in that the document is still in draft form, and the regulations permit the council to make considerable changes to the local plan following the public consultation. A further formal consultation (Regulation 19) is proposed for summer 2014, and only minor changes can be made to the local plan at this stage.
1.3.5 The consultation will be carried out by the Planning team with support from the Communications team. It is vital that a comprehensive consultation plan is put in place to provide opportunities for residents, businesses and any other interested parties to submit their comments and questions on the MBLP.
1.3.6 The council’s recently adopted Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is key in developing a successful consultation plan. The document identifies seven objectives for successful consultation:
· To involve stakeholders at the earliest opportunity, in time to shape preparation work;
· That consultation takes place before decisions are made and in the open;
· To develop and improve a flexible and accessible consultation process;
· Everyone should have an opportunity to be involved if they choose;
· Draw on local knowledge to improve decision making and help the realistic implementation of decisions;
· Provide a greater deal of certainty for all involved through a plan led system; and
· That the planning system should help implement the communities’ vision for the area.
1.3.7 In addition, the SCI recognises that there can be barriers to effective public consultation such as managing expectations, technical terminology and the use of technology. It will be important to address and overcome these during the public consultation.
1.3.8 What will the council be consulting on at this stage?
1.3.9 The draft Maidstone Borough Local Plan sets the framework to guide the future development of the borough. It plans for homes, jobs, shopping, leisure and the environment, as well as the associated infrastructure to support new development. It explains why, what, when, where and how development will be delivered through a strategy that plans for growth and regeneration whilst at the same time protects and enhances the borough’s natural and built assets.
1.3.10 In addition to the draft Maidstone Borough Local Plan, the public consultation will focus on the following documents which support the plan:
· Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP);
· Draft Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS);
· Draft Green and Blue Infrastructure (GBI) Strategy; and
· Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) preliminary draft charging schedule.
1.3.11 The growth set out in the MBLP cannot be delivered in a sustainable manner without improvements to supporting infrastructure. The IDP and ITS list the schemes considered necessary to support the growth set out in the plan. This includes both improvements to existing infrastructure and the provision of new, where appropriate. The GBI Strategy aims to improve the network of green and blue spaces within the borough to meet the needs of existing and future communities. The key to unlocking the growth set out in the MBLP is the CIL preliminary draft charging schedule, which is the mechanism for the collection of developer contributions to pay for the identified major enabling infrastructure in the borough.
1.3.12 How will the council consult the public?
1.3.13 The council’s previous consultations on the Core Strategy and Strategic Site Allocations included a variety of methods that brought forward a well-informed range of responses. The consultation plan incorporates these methods and lists the actions planned for the MBLP public consultation. These actions include exhibitions, meetings and workshops, promotional material and adverts, and use of the council’s website and social media.
1.3.14 Public exhibitions – these will take place around the borough in areas where new development is proposed, primarily the rural service centres, larger villages and the urban area. They will be held in village halls, hotels or other venues and advertised widely. Officers will be on hand to provide information and answer questions. It is also proposed to hold a ‘Big Debate’ open to all members of the public to debate the key issues of the MBLP.
1.3.15 Meetings with parish councils – these will take place with parishes where development is proposed, primarily the rural service centres and larger villages. They will take the form of informal conversations, the primary objective being to explain the reasons behind the sites that have been selected for development. Officers will record notes of the discussions had, however it will be the responsibility of the parish councils to formally submit their representations. For the non-parished areas, it is proposed to meet with representatives of the designated neighbourhood areas, and in addition, relevant ward members will be invited to attend the member drop-in session, and to attend the public exhibitions held in the non-parished area.
1.3.16 Workshop with the Maidstone branch of the Kent Association of Local Councils – it is proposed to run a workshop with this group as they provide a valuable link to the communities in the rural areas of Maidstone borough.
1.3.17 Workshop with the Kent Joint Parishes Group (JPG) – it is proposed to run a workshop with this group, who represents twelve parish councils throughout the borough.
1.3.18 Workshops with developers/registered providers/infrastructure providers – it is essential to gain the views of the council’s partner organisations and stakeholders, particularly where they are directly affected by the proposals set out in the MBLP.
1.3.19 Duty to co-operate workshop with statutory bodies and adjoining authorities – the council is required, under the duty to co-operate set out in the Localism Act (2011), to engage with other public organisations to consider joint approaches to plan making. It is proposed to run a workshop to discuss cross-boundary and county-wide aspects of the MBLP.
1.3.20 Workshop with the business community – it is essential to gain the views of the local business community, particularly regarding sites where economic development is proposed. It is proposed to run a business workshop with representatives of local businesses to discuss the key issues of the MBLP.
1.3.21 Presentation to the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board – it is proposed to present the ITS to the November meeting of the Maidstone Joint Transportation Board to obtain their views on the proposed transport improvements set out in the document.
1.3.22 Member drop-in session – it is proposed to run a member drop-in session at Maidstone House where officers will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the MBLP. This session is for all members; however it is particularly important for ward members in the absence of parish councils.
1.3.23 Promotional material and adverts – a public notice will be placed in the Kent Messenger newspaper to publicise the consultation. This will include the dates of the consultation, how the public can view and comment on the MBLP, and will list the schedule of planned events. Copies of the consultation documents and questionnaire will be placed in all libraries throughout the borough and in the Maidstone Gateway. In addition, posters detailing the planned events will be placed in all libraries, Maidstone Gateway and sent to all parish councils for posting on their parish notice boards. Pop-up banners will be erected at the public exhibitions, which summarise the key aspects of the MBLP and supporting documents. These are useful as a visual aid. Furthermore, the new edition of Planning Viewpoint newsletter will be sent to all contacts on the Spatial Policy consultation database and will contain full details of the public consultation.
1.3.24 Use of the council’s website and social media – the consultation documents, questionnaire and schedule of planned events will be placed on the council’s website. In addition, the public can submit their comments online (through the Objective software package) with all representations available for the public to view. Messages will be placed on Facebook and Twitter throughout the duration of the consultation to raise awareness.
1.3.25 The council has also produced four videos, each one minute long, which highlight the key messages of the MBLP on housing, economic development, transport and infrastructure and open space. These short videos will be available to view on the council’s YouTube channel. They are aimed at local residents in order to raise awareness and address common questions.
1.3.26 With regard to targeting hard to reach groups e.g. people in areas of multiple deprivation or minority groups, the council has experience of using existing contacts through its various community development activities. The council will also use its own database of contacts and the Mosaic database to ensure that such groups are made fully aware of the consultation.
1.3.27 Past consultation experience indicates that the council is likely to receive thousands of representations following the consultation. All representations will be acknowledged, however, the council will not be able to guarantee individual responses to letters/comments received. This will be made clear on the consultation material.
1.4 Alternative Action and why not Recommended
1.4.1 Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 requires the council to consult the public on the MBLP. Whilst the regulations do not specify the length of the consultation, past experience shows that a six week period is sufficient.
1.4.2 There is a range of events proposed in the consultation plan. It is not recommended to undertake fewer events, primarily because the consultation would not reach as many residents. Equally, past experience has shown that there is little benefit in doing more in a less targeted way, such as dropping leaflets to all households in the borough, as this does not tend to yield informed responses.
1.5 Impact on Corporate Objectives
1.5.1 The MBLP consultation impacts on all three corporate objectives as set out in the Strategic Plan 2011-15.
1.5.2 For Maidstone to have a growing economy – residents, businesses and stakeholders will have an opportunity to comment on how best to achieve a growing economy in the borough. The MBLP will also address the transport issues important to Maidstone, giving an opportunity to comment on the effectiveness of the proposed policies.
1.5.3 For Maidstone to be a decent place to live – residents, businesses and stakeholders in the borough will have the best opportunity to comment on the policies that will shape how it will grow over the period until 2031.
1.5.4 Corporate and customer excellence – part of this priority deals with delivering cost effective services to the right people in the right places at the right time. The MBLP consultation will focus on reaching the relevant residents, businesses and stakeholders and will ensure that nobody is disadvantaged because of where they live or who they are.
1.6 Risk Management
1.6.1 The approval of the consultation plan that is the subject of this report will reduce the risk of being procedurally unsound, and legal advice has been sought on this matter. The consultation plan focuses on delivering accurate and informed messages to the public and media and the Spatial Policy team has recently recruited a Publicity Officer, who will support the team in delivering these positive messages.
1.6.2 The public consultation is expected to yield a large volume of responses. The Spatial Policy team will dedicate the majority of its time to managing the responses.
1.6.3 Depending on the outcome of the public consultation, major changes could be proposed to the MBLP. This will impact the current timetable significantly. With regard to mitigation, the MBLP has been developed with full member and parish council engagement, and sites have been the subject of sustainability appraisal.
1.7 Other Implications
1.7.1
|
1. Financial
|
X
|
|
2. Staffing
|
X
|
|
3. Legal
|
X
|
|
4. Equality Impact Needs Assessment
|
X
|
|
5. Environmental/Sustainable Development
|
X |
|
6. Community Safety
|
|
|
7. Human Rights Act
|
|
|
8. Procurement
|
|
|
9. Asset Management
|
|
1.7.2 Financial – the Local Plan budget can fund the MBLP consultation, including public exhibitions, promotional materials and copies of the documents.
1.7.3 Staffing – over the six week period, the Spatial Policy team will dedicate the majority of its time to the consultation, and other officers in the council will contribute where appropriate/relevant.
1.7.4 Legal - Regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 requires the council to undertake an informal and flexible public consultation at this stage of plan preparation.
1.7.5 Equality impact – the MBLP consultation process will engage with all individuals and communities in line with the equalities legislation and the council’s equalities policy.
1.7.6 Environment/sustainable development – one of the main remits of national planning policy is to promote sustainable development. The MBLP will seek to deliver development in an environmentally acceptable and sustainable manner. This consultation will enable members of the public to comment as to the degree which they consider it does this.
1.8 Relevant Documents
1.9 None.
1.9.1 Appendices
1.9.2 Appendix A – MBLP consultation plan.
1.9.3 Background Documents
1.9.4 None.
|