Decision details

To decide whether, in principle, to permit land to the south of Forstal Road to be initially considered as part of the promotion of various land parcels under the Local Plan process.

1.  That agreement be given in principle to the land to the south of Forstal Road, shown edged red on the plan attached as an Appendix to the report of the Cobtree Officer, being initially considered as part of the promotion of various land parcels under the Local Plan process but on the basis that the Committee will make a final decision only when it has received a further report outlining in detail all of the options available to it.

2.  That guidance be sought from the Charity Commission regarding the possible allocation of this land for development.

As part of its land holdings, the Charity known as the Cobtree Manor Estate has a 999 year lease of a parcel of land (approximately 8.8ha) to the south of Forstal Road.  The site is currently sub-leased to Kent County Council for a term of 125 years as part of the wider parcel of land occupied by the Kent Museum of Rural Life.  A plan of the site is attached as Appendix A to the report of the Cobtree Officer.

Maidstone Borough Council is currently undertaking a process of identifying potential new employment sites as part of its forthcoming new Local Plan.  The site was previously put forward for employment development when the current adopted Local Plan was being prepared although the land was not ultimately allocated.  The opportunity has now arisen again for this site to be promoted for employment development, if the Committee, acting for the Charity, wishes to do so.

The timing of the reporting of this issue to the Committee is driven by the timescale of the new Local Plan.  A draft version of the new Local Plan, which will include site allocations, will be considered by the Council’s Cabinet in September.  Sites allocated in the Plan must be demonstrably available for the use in question.  The decision for the Committee was whether it wished to confirm the availability of this site for employment development to enable it to be further progressed through the Local Plan process.

It is understood that the opportunity to include the site for development purposes will not occur again until the Local Plan is reviewed.  Allocating the land now does not commit the Charity to developing the site, but doing so will keep its options open.

The Charity Commission must be consulted due to the potential impact on the Charity’s land, and it is proposed that this be done as soon as possible to meet the Local Plan timescale.

To decline to receive a further report could result in the Charity missing an opportunity to consider whether the site should be promoted through the Local Plan process.