Agenda and draft minutes

Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone

Contact: Tessa Mallett  01622 602524

Items
No. Item

122.

The Committee to consider whether all items on the agenda should be webcast

Minutes:

RESOLVED: that all items on the agenda be webcast.

 

123.

Apologies

Minutes:

Apologies for lateness were received from:

 

·  Councillor de Wiggondene; and,

·  Councillor Ross.

 

Both arrived at 5:40pm

 

124.

Notification of Substitute Members

Minutes:

Councillor Cuming substituted for Councillor de Wiggondene until he arrived.

 

125.

Notification of Visiting Members

Minutes:

Councillors: Ash, Burton, Cuming, Daley, Harper, Hogg, B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Newton, Paine, Perry, Mrs Stockell, Thick, P Watson and J.A. Wilson were all in attendance to make statements under item 8 of the agenda.

 

Councillors: Black, Greer, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Sams and Mrs Joy were in attendance as observers.

 

 

 

126.

Disclosures by Members and Officers

Minutes:

Councillor Springett declared an ‘Other Significant Interest’ by virtue of the fact that her property borders the boundary of site H1 (17) – Barty Farm, Bearsted.

 

Councillor Burton declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in site H1 (10) – Land South of Sutton Road, Langley.

 

Both Councillors were to leave the room when these sites were discussed in detail.

 

There were no disclosures by Officers.

 

 

127.

To consider whether any items should be taken in private because of the possible disclosure of exempt information

Minutes:

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

 

128.

Minutes of the Meeting held on 16 December 2014 pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 16 December 2015 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

 

129.

Urgent Items

Minutes:

RESOLVED: that the following items be taken as urgent updates to item 8:

 

·  Appendix C, the Interim Sustainability Findings: Housing Site Options summary tables relating to agenda Item 8. Hard copies were sent to all committee members and substitute members with the courier on Friday 16 January.  Hard copies were available at the meeting;

 

·  Urgent Update – regarding H1 (10 Land South of Sutton Road, Langley and H1 (11) Springfield, Royal Engineers Road and Mill Lane, Maidstone, and Lane South of Grigg Lane, Headcorn (H1 (41)) and;

 

·  Urgent Update – Infrastructure Update note.

 

130.

Maidstone Borough Local Plan - new and amended site allocations pdf icon PDF 41 KB

A report presented by Sarah Anderson, Principal Planning Officer, Spatial Planning for the committee to consider the:

 

·  Proposed amendments to the sites identified for housing (Policy H1) in the Regulation 18 Maidstone Borough Local Plan following the public consultation on the draft Plan held between March and May 2014;

 

·  The site allocation policies for proposed new additional housing sites and the proposed deletion of a housing site at Boughton Monchelsea to be the subject of public consultation (Regulation 18) in Spring 2015;

 

·  An update on the recent and planned Local Plan work streams.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairman confirmed all councillors had been lobbied on Agenda item 8, Maidstone Borough Local Plan – new and amended site allocations.

 

The Chairman stated the Committee would start by considering Appendix D of the report, Proposed new site allocation policies and proposed omission of H1 (48) Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea, for approval for Regulation 18, followed by Appendix A, Schedule of responses to the representations to the sites in Policy H1.

 

The Chairman introduced Rob Jarman, Head of Planning and Development, Sarah Anderton, Principal Planning Officer, Spatial Planning and Steve Clarke, Principal Planning Officer, Spatial Planning to the meeting.

 

Mr Jarman introduced two urgent updates for the Committee, an Infrastructure Update Note and a Schedule of Changes to Site Capacities.

 

Mr Jarman explained the sites in the report for this agenda item, in Appendix A and B, were the proposed amendments to existing allocations and the majority were recommended for consultation at Regulation 19 stage, with three exceptions:

 

·  Land South of Sutton Road, Langley (H1 (10)) and Land South of Grigg Lane, Headcorn (H1 (41)) – housing numbers for both sites had been decreased, with the development area to the east being increased.  These sites were recommended to go to Regulation 18 consultation again as these changes were regarded as significant, and;

 

·  Springfields, Royal Engineers Road and Mill Lane, Maidstone, although there were no proposed changes by Officers, the yield for this site had been reduced from 950 to 500, and was recommended to go to Regulation 18 consultation again due to the significant change for this site.

 

Mr Jarman went on to update the Committee on the Land East of Hermitage Lane, Maidstone.  This policy was not included in the papers.  The site was an allocation in the adopted and draft local plans.  The site was approved by Cabinet in February 2014 to go to Regulation 18 consultation from March to May 2014.  Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council did not object to a country park associated with this policy allocation.

 

A planning application was refused for this site in Summer 2014 and was subject to an enquiry later in 2015.  In terms of the public enquiry Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council had objected to a country park by a Rule 6 Statement.  Maidstone Borough Council had continued on-going dialogue with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council and hoped to resolve any issues with them.  Mr Jarman pointed out this highlighted officers’ commitment to the delivery of strategic open space.

 

Mr Jarman told the Committee the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) would be quoted by the inspector at the Public Examination into the Local Plan.  In particular Section 7 – to Deliver a Wide Choice of Housing, paragraph 47;

 

“To boost significantly the supply of housing Local Plan Authorities should use their evidence base to ensure their Local Plan meets the full objectively assessed needs for market and affordable housing.”

 

Mr Jarman accepted Maidstone’s objectively assessed need of 18,600 was unpopular, but pointed out the inspector, at the public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 130.

131.

Adjournment

Minutes:

Prior to 22:30pm, the committee considered whether to adjourn at 22:30pm or to continue until 23:00pm if necessary.

 

RESOLVED:  That the meeting be adjourned at 22:20pm and reconvened at 5pm Thursday 22 January 2015 at the Town Hall.