Issue - meetings

That the:

1. Additional sites considered and excluded from the Local Plan during the January/February/March 2015 cycle of Cabinet meetings be re-considered (the sites deleted from the Regulation 18 version of the Plan (7 sites and 1 part site) and the allocation of more of the additional sites (15) resulting from the 2014 call for sites).  Sites put forward by Ward Members with community support in Neighbourhood Plans during the further call for sites process and were borderline rejections from the SHLAA to also be re-considered.

2. Following sites are not to be re-considered:

·  H1 (25) Tongs Meadow, West Street, Harrietsham

·  H1 (60) Fant Farm, Maidstone

·  H1 (48) Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea

Councillor Burton left the meeting at 8.20pm and Councillor Harwood took the Chair.  Councillor Garland substituted for Councillor Burton.

Councillor Grigg left the meeting at 9.00pm.

The Head of Planning and Development presented the report and explained, with a revised objectively assessed housing need figure of 18,560, the shortfall in housing provision in the draft Local Plan was 2161.

The Committee heard that the objectively assessed housing need figure would need to be met in full, according to the National Planning Policy Framework, unless robust constraints could be demonstrated.

The Head of Planning and Development outlined the challenges going forward:

·  Robust constraints to justify the shortfall – the task and finish groups (focussed on infrastructure) were working on this;

·  The risk of the local plan being found unsound would result in the evidence base having to be revised resulting in increased costs to the Council and leaving the borough open to speculative development;

·  If the local plan was adopted in 2017 the life of the plan would be 14 years.  An inspector may insist the period is increased from 2031 to 2036 as local plans are required to have a 15 year life;

·  London migration – an uplift in the objectively assessed housing need is likely to be required in the future;

·  Without an adopted local plan there would be no five year land supply, leading to planning by appeal, where appeals are lost on sites where development is not wanted.

Councillors Blackmore, Munford and Wilson addressed the Committee.

The Committee discussed the various options outlined in the report and other options put forward by Committee members.

RESOLVED

That the:

1)  Additional sites considered and excluded from the Local Plan during the January/February/March 2015 cycle of Cabinet meetings be re-considered (the sites deleted from the Regulation 18 version of the Plan (7 sites and 1 part site) and the allocation of more of the additional sites (15) resulting from the 2014 call for sites).  Sites put forward by Ward Members with community support in Neighbourhood Plans during the further call for sites process and were borderline rejections from the SHLAA to also be re-considered.

2)  Following sites are not to be re-considered:

H1 (25) Tongs Meadow, West Street, Harrietsham

H1 (60) Fant Farm, Maidstone

H1 (48) Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea

Voting:  For 4  Against 3  Abstain  1

Arising from the discussion the Vice Chair (in the Chair) suggested that a report come to the Committee on areas of local landscape value. 

The Head of Planning and Development stated the National Planning Policy Framework was unclear on this issue and suggested the Council could come up with broad locations of landscape protection areas. Vice Chair (in the Chair) suggested these locations should be in the Local Plan and not supplementary documents.