Issue - meetings

1.  That, without prejudice to consideration of all representations prior to the approval of the Core Strategy for the next round of public consultation planned for December 2012 (regulation 19[1]), and the key issues arising from the 2011 public participation consultation on the draft Core Strategy, the officers’ responses be noted, and the following be agreed:

i)  Replace the 10,000 jobs target set out in policy CS1 with a specific employment floorspace requirement expressed in square metres;

ii)  Retain junction 8 of the M20 motorway as a strategic location for economic development to address qualitative and quantitative employment needs and the aspirations of the Council;

iii)  Retain junction 7 of the M20 motorway as a medical campus, and allocate land for development in the Core Strategy in conjunction with the adjacent redevelopment of Newnham Court Shopping Village, to be guided by an approved development brief;

iv)  Retain the housing target of 10,080 dwellings in a dispersed pattern of development;

v)  Retain the two strategic housing development locations to the north west and south east of the urban area, and allocate land for development in the Core Strategy to be guided by development briefs;

vi)  Update Maidstone’s 5-year housing land supply and housing trajectory to a base date of 1 April 2012, and engage with the development industry to achieve consensus over the methods of calculating elements of land supply, including a 5% contingency allowance;

vii)  Include housing targets in policy CS1 for each of the rural service centres in accordance with those set out in the Cabinet report of 9 February 2011, reproduced at paragraph 1.5.22 of the report of the Director of Change, Planning, and the Environment;

viii)  Include reference to the early release of a proportion of suitable greenfield sites at the rural service centres in the Core Strategy in advance of the adoption of the Development Delivery Local Plan where supported by evidence of need;

ix)  Note that work is being undertaken on the viability of Core Strategy policies, including affordable housing, and that a subsequent report on this issue will be presented to Cabinet;

x)  Retain the five rural service centres of Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst;

xi)  Note that the draft Integrated Transport Strategy, which is the subject of a separate report attached to the agenda, addresses the issues relating to improvements to highways and public transport raised by respondents;

xii)  Rename green wedges as green and blue corridors, transfer references to corridors in policy CS3 to policy CS1, and amend the green wedges notations on the key diagram;

xiii)  Reword the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation policy (CS12) to provide clarity and to include a landscaping criterion; and

xiv)  That the work that is ongoing to provide for a suitable public site(s) for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation be noted

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DECISION MADE:

1.  That, without prejudice to consideration of all representations prior to the approval of the Core Strategy for the next round of public consultation planned for December 2012 (regulation 19[1]), and the key issues arising from the 2011 public participation consultation on the draft Core Strategy, the officers’ responses be noted, and the following be agreed:

i)  Replace the 10,000 jobs target set out in policy CS1 with a specific employment floorspace requirement expressed in square metres;

ii)  Retain junction 8 of the M20 motorway as a strategic location for economic development to address qualitative and quantitative employment needs and the aspirations of the Council;

iii)  Retain junction 7 of the M20 motorway as a medical campus, and allocate land for development in the Core Strategy in conjunction with the adjacent redevelopment of Newnham Court Shopping Village, to be guided by an approved development brief;

iv)  Retain the housing target of 10,080 dwellings in a dispersed pattern of development;

v)  Retain the two strategic housing development locations to the north west and south east of the urban area, and allocate land for development in the Core Strategy to be guided by development briefs;

vi)  Update Maidstone’s 5-year housing land supply and housing trajectory to a base date of 1 April 2012, and engage with the development industry to achieve consensus over the methods of calculating elements of land supply, including a 5% contingency allowance;

vii)  Include housing targets in policy CS1 for each of the rural service centres in accordance with those set out in the Cabinet report of 9 February 2011, reproduced at paragraph 1.5.22 of the report of the Director of Change, Planning, and the Environment;

viii)  Include reference to the early release of a proportion of suitable greenfield sites at the rural service centres in the Core Strategy in advance of the adoption of the Development Delivery Local Plan where supported by evidence of need;

ix)  Note that work is being undertaken on the viability of Core Strategy policies, including affordable housing, and that a subsequent report on this issue will be presented to Cabinet;

x)  Retain the five rural service centres of Harrietsham, Headcorn, Lenham, Marden and Staplehurst;

xi)  Note that the draft Integrated Transport Strategy, which is the subject of a separate report attached to the agenda, addresses the issues relating to improvements to highways and public transport raised by respondents;

xii)  Rename green wedges as green and blue corridors, transfer references to corridors in policy CS3 to policy CS1, and amend the green wedges notations on the key diagram;

xiii)  Reword the Gypsy and Traveller accommodation policy (CS12) to provide clarity and to include a landscaping criterion; and

xiv)  That the work that is ongoing to provide for a suitable public site(s) for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation be noted

The Group considered the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment relating to the key issues arising from the representations made during the public participation consultation on the draft Core Strategy (2011) and to note the officers’ response.

The Group discussed in great detail the issues raised in the report and the various measures that could be taken in respect of the concerns raised.

RESOLVED to Recommend to the Cabinet: That the recommendations set out in the report be approved subject to the following amendments:-

a)  Recommendation (ii) re Junction 8 was agreed but in addition the following resolution was also agreed.

That in respect of the proposals relating to Junction 8 on the M20 motorway and the Woodcut Farm site the 7ha site to the north west of the site would be given over to a landscaped area should come into public ownership either through the Council or a Charitable Trust and that the proposal is communicated to the community setting out the Council’s intention through this proposal to protect the land to the north west of this area as open countryside.

b) Recommendation (iii) be reworded as follows:

“Retain Junction 7 of the M20 motorway as a medical campus and that the Cabinet give further consideration to the allocation for land as development in the Core Strategy in conjunction with the adjacent redevelopment of Newnham Court Shopping Centre which would have been guided by an approved Development Brief”.

c) Recommendation (xii) be reworded as follows:

“Rename Green wedges as Green and Blue corridors, transfer references to corridors in policies CS3 to policy CS1 and amend the Green wedges notations on the Key diagram but that in so doing these changes are cross referenced to the NPPF”.

d) New recommendation (xv) be inserted in the following terms:

“That the Cabinet give consideration to the Maidstone Town Centre being allocated a strategic site or highlighted in policy in a way that has the same effect as that of a strategic site allocation.

Interview with Rob Jarman, Head of Planning and Sue Whiteside, Spatial Policy Team Leader.

Following an overview of the report from the Head of Planning, Rob Jarman and Principal Planning Officer, Sarah Anderton in response to questions on the deliverability of the Core Strategy, it was explained to Members that Maidstone Council needs to prioritise what they expect developers to deliver.

Members asked for clarification over consultation with neighbouring districts and were informed that at least one meeting had been held with officers from Tonbridge and Malling. It was noted by the Committee that the Duty to Cooperate was new for all authorities but felt that further consultation should be undertaken with neighbouring districts.

Both Members from the Committee and Visiting Members raised concerns over development at Junction 8 Woodcut Farm, some felt that there was little evidence to support development at this site and that any development would impact on the North Downs area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There was also concern on how this would impact on the Council’s reputation considering the amount of resources that went into the Kent International Gateway (KIG) appeal and the development may detract from regeneration in the Town Centre. It was explained to the Committee that the Woodcut Farm was the preferred site as the representations received showed schemes working with the existing topography and had direct access from Ashford road so would require less supporting infrastructure. In relation to detracting from the Town Centre the Committee was assured that if a planning application came forward the applicant and Officers would need to show that there was nothing suitable in the Town Centre or allocated in the Strategy. It was noted that other uses for the site such as tourism had been looked into but there was no market for this at present and that the largest building that would be allowed on the site was half the size of those that were proposed for KIG. The Committee recommended the rewording of recommendation two of the report. 

It was resolved that:

1.  That consultation with neighbouring districts be undertaken as per the legislation

2.  That recommendation 2 of the public participation report be amended to say:

Reject Junction 8 of the M20 motorway as a Strategic Development Site location for industrial and warehouse development, together with premium office development and do not allocate land for development in the Core Strategy to be guided by an approved development brief.