Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

There were no substitute members.

Councillors English, Paine, Paterson, and Yates indicated that they wished to speak in respect of all the items on the agenda.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Lusty be elected Chairman of the Group for the municipal year 2012/13.

RESOLVED: That Councillor Harwood be elected Vice Chairman of the Group for the municipal year 2012/13.

There were no disclosures by Members and Officers.

All members of the group stated that they had been lobbied on the Core Strategy.

RESOLVED: That the items be taken in public as proposed.

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.

The Group considered the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment relating to the draft Core Strategy strategic site allocations for housing and employment, together with the policy for the presumption in favour of sustainable development and the distribution of housing targets for rural service centres, and to approve the document attached at Appendix A to the report for public consultation in accordance with regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

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.

The Director of Change, Planning and the Environment reported to the Group a number of amendments he wished to make to the consultation document which are set out below:-

Core Strategy Strategic Site Allocations – Proposed Amendments

East of Hermitage Lane

1.  After paragraph 3.16 add new paragraph: “East of Hermitage Lane lies, in part, within an identified biodiversity opportunity area (BOA).  The Greensand Heaths and Commons BOA, in which the north eastern portion of the site is located, is characterised by a concentration of woodlands on the Greensand Ridge where areas of healthy vegetation and acid grassland are a feature. The larger field, which is proposed for development, has been ploughed on a number of occasions, although opportunities exist for targeted habitat restoration and creation as part of the development.”

2.  Delete paragraph 3.17 and replace with: “At the south western end of the site is a smaller field with an area of protected trees to the north east. The field and trees, which are to be retained as informal/natural open space, offer the chance to create an enhanced biodiversity corridor through and around the proposed development.  Retention of the smaller field also allows a section of archaeological remains to be left in situ, as advised by the County Archaeologist.  The retention and enhancement of this part of the site will also screen the proposed development from Hermitage Lane and maintain the setting of Maidstone Hospital.”

North of Sutton Road

3.  Paragraph 4.10 following “and enclosure to development” add: “The County Ecologist has identified the eastern part of the site as having ecological potential so more detailed consideration should be given to this area through the submission of an ecology survey, incorporating mitigation measures, to be approved by the Borough Council.  Existing landscape features within the site should be retained where possible.  Bicknor Wood to the north of the site and the trees running along the eastern boundary are subject to tree preservation orders (TPO No.37 of 1981 and TPO No.36 of 1981).”

4.  Policy SS2c add new criterion: “Submission of a full landscape assessment and ecology survey, to be approved by the Borough Council”.

Woodcut Farm

5.  Paragraph 5.3 amend first sentence to read “The site which is some 25.8ha 25.3ha, is situated…”

6.  Paragraph 5.9 add “The site does lie within the Mid Kent Greensand and Gault Biodiversity  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Group considered the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment seeking agreement to a Draft Integrated transport Strategy, prepared jointly by the Kent County Council and the Maidstone Borough Council, for public consultation.

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, subject to the following amendments, the Draft Integrated Transport Strategy and its preferred option, using a “do minimum plus” basis for further improvements be approved for public consultation:-

 a) That a greater emphasis is given to pedestrian movement in and around the Maidstone town centre within the Strategy.

b) That the Cabinet investigate and seek clarity from the Kent County Council on what level of funding it would underwrite the schemes set out in the ITS Action Plan.

The Group considered the report of the Director of Change, Planning and the Environment on progress on the Infrastructure Delivery Plan in order to inform the Core Strategy strategic site allocations and the Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS).

RESOLVED: That the progress of the Infrastructure Delivery Plan and the indicative cost estimates be noted.

6.30pm to 9.54pm.