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Agenda, decisions and minutes
Venue: Town Hall, High Street, Maidstone
Contact: Tessa Ware 01622 602621
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Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Springett and de Wiggondene.
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Notification of Substitute Members Minutes: It was noted that Councillor Garten was in attendance as substitute for Councillor Springett and Councillor Ring was in attendance as substitute for Councillor de Wiggondene.
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Urgent Items Minutes: The Chairman stated that, in his opinion, the update report of the Head of Planning for item 14 – Community Infrastructure Levy: Draft Charging Schedule, should be taken as an urgent item as it contained further information relating to the agenda item 14.
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Notification of Visiting Members Minutes: Councillor Perry was in attendance to speak on Item 12 – Staplehurst and Headcorn Neighbourhood Plan Examinations Update.
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Disclosures by Members and Officers Minutes: There were no disclosures by Members or Officers.
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Disclosures of Lobbying Minutes: It was noted that all Members present, with the exception of Councillor Ring, had been lobbied on the Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy.
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Exempt items Minutes: RESOLVED:
That all items be taken in public as proposed.
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Minutes of the meeting held on 14 June 2016 Minutes: It was noted that the minutes of the meeting held on 14 June had been approved at the meeting held on 6 July 2016.
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Presentation of Petitions (if any) Minutes: There were no petitions.
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Questions and answer session for members of the public Minutes: There were no questions from members of the public.
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Committee Work Programme for noting Minutes: The Committee Work Programme was noted as per the papers.
It was noted that a request was made for the inclusion of an item on the revival of the Passenger Transport Operators Group be added to the Work Programme.
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Minutes: The Project Manager, Local Plan, presented the report and updated the Committee on the position with the Staplehurst and Headcorn Neighbourhood Plans.
Councillor Perry addressed the Committee and asked that his thanks to the officers for their excellent advice and assistance be noted.
RESOLVED:
That the progress made in relation to the re-examination of the Neighbourhood Development Plans for both Staplehurst and Headcorn be noted.
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Report of the Head of Planning and Development - Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy Additional documents: Decision: Issue for Decision
To consider the adoption of the Maidstone Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy as an essential component of the Local Plan evidence base.
Decision Made
1. That the Maidstone Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy be adopted to include annotations signposting and cross referencing (at every point in the Strategy) to relevant supporting document.
2. That the current version of the Delivery Framework be approved for implementation with the following addition to column three (entitled “Strategic Objectives”), of Key Theme ‘Providing community involvement and opportunities for education’ at page 111/112:
· That the Council will continue to proactively seek new funding and other resources to support new open spaces, and;
· That the Council brings forward the appropriate means of control (including by-laws) within public open spaces and nature reserves.
Minutes: The Project Manager, Local Plan, presented the report on the adoption of the Maidstone Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy as an essential component of the Local Plan evidence base.
Councillors heard that the Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy (G&BIS) was a high level document setting out the Council’s commitment to the preservation of the environment. Appendix 1 of the report was the delivery framework setting out the parameters for the ten year open spaces plan, which was the delivery plan for Maidstone Borough Council. In terms of further planning guidance, provided it was at an appropriate time, it was possible to develop supplementary planning guidance for more detailed issues.
It was agreed an item be included on the Committee’s work programme regarding the development of Supplementary Planning Documents as an interim measure for this municipal year.
It was agreed that signposting to relevant supporting documents would be included in the strategy.
It was confirmed that all parish councils were invited to attend the stakeholder workshops held in 2015. All workshops had been well attended with approximately 25-30 representatives from parish councils at each one.
The Committee heard that the G&BIS superseded the Biodiversity Strategy dated 2014.
The Committee were informed that the action plan referred to on page 135 of the strategy was to follow. It was explained that the Council’s role, as well as create the Local Plan, was one of coordinating the action plans of other organisations such as the Environment Agency and Sport England. It was also confirmed that the outputs from the stakeholder workshops held in 2015 would feed in to the action plan.
It was agreed to recommend the addition of wording to the Delivery Framework, at column three of the section regarding ‘Providing community involvement and opportunities for education’ (bottom of page 112 of the strategy), regarding identifying funding sources for the Council’s provision of parks and open spaces, as well as the development of controls, including bylaws, for open space and nature reserves to combat anti-social behaviour.
It was noted that the possible implementation of rewilding initiatives be included in the Committee’s work programme.
RESOLVED:
1. That the Maidstone Green and Blue Infrastructure Strategy be adopted to include signposting and cross referencing to relevant supplementary documents annotated at every point.
Voting: For – 9 Against – 0 Abstentions - 0
2. That the current version of the Delivery Framework be approved for implementation with the following additional words in column three, page 111/112, where it states ‘Providing community involvement and opportunities for education’:
· That the Council proactively seeks new funding and other resources to support new open spaces, and;
· That the Council brings appropriate means of control in public open spaces, including by-laws.
Voting: For – 9 Against – 0 Abstentions – 0
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Additional documents:
Decision: Issue for Decision
To consider the approval of the Draft Charging Schedule, Draft Regulation 123 List and Draft Instalments Policy for consultation under Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended). And to consider instructing officers to commence work on the consideration of potential options for the Community Infrastructure governance and administrative arrangements.
Decision Made
1. That the Draft Charging Schedule, Draft Regulation 123 List and Draft Instalments Policy, as amended by the Urgent Update Report dated 12 July 2016, be approved for consultation under Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended).
2. That Officers be instructed to commence work, with timely engagement of parish councils and neighbourhood forums (where appropriate), on consideration of potential options for Community Infrastructure Levy governance and administrative arrangements.
Minutes: The Committee considered approving the Draft Charging Schedule, Draft Regulation 123 List and Draft Instalments Policy for consultation under Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended). They also considered instructing officers to commence work on the potential options for the Community Infrastructure governance and administrative arrangements.
The Principal Planning Officer introduced the report and explained the urgent update outlining amendments to the report which included proposed consultation dates in the Draft Charging Schedule and amendments to the time table included in the agenda document as a result of the suggested dates.
The officer went on to explain the key purpose for the document and its relationship with the Local Plan.
The Committee were advised that Government instigated a review of the CIL but it was too early to say if there were any implications for the Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) CIL. Officers would monitor the results of the review and report back to the Committee regarding any implications on MBC’s CIL.
It was pointed out that the Kent Association of Local Councils only met every three months and early engagement with them on the governance arrangements for the CIL should be considered to avoid any delay with the CIL timetable.
The Committee were informed that the figures shown on Appendix D of the report, CIL: Funding Gap Analysis (June 2016) were gathered through consultation with bus companies and through the transport evidence collected for the Local Plan and the Infrastructure Delivery Plan. It was explained that the figures were indicative to show there was an aggregate funding gap. The details were yet to be decided and additional strategic transport schemes could be included at a later date.
The Committee heard that schemes from the Walking and Cycling Strategy could be included in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan once costed information for the schemes was available. The list of schemes in the CIL were exclusively ones potentially eligible for CIL funding not S106 funding.
Decision Made
1. That the Draft Charging Schedule, Draft Regulation 123 List and Draft Instalments Policy, as amended by the Urgent Update Report dated 12 July 2016, be approved for consultation under Regulation 16 of the Community Infrastructure Levy Regulations 2010 (as amended).
Voting: For – 9 Against – 0 Abstentions – 0
2. That Officers be instructed to commence work, with timely engagement of parish councils and neighbourhood forums (where appropriate), on consideration of potential options for Community Infrastructure Levy governance and administrative arrangements.
Voting: For – 9 Against – 0 Abstentions – 0
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Duration of meeting Minutes: 6:30pm to 7:45pm
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