Following consideration by the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board, the Cabinet Member for Planning and Transportation resolved that:
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council supports the principles behind the production of these documents and endorses the general thrust of the conclusions. It will take them into account in determining planning applications.
However it raises the following concerns with regard to the 2009 Document and recommends that further steps of consultation be taken with regard to the 2007 Document so as to improve its credibility:
2009 Document
• It is not clear that the consultation approach adopted will give sufficient weight to the document - for instance have other "public service providers" and the development industry been directly consulted to allow them to comment upon the approach adopted by KCC?
• The 2009 Document fails to identify specific and clearly costed projects in TMBC area. This makes it very difficult to assess what level of (normally financial) contribution could be justified of a particular proposed development when planning permission is sought.
2007 Document
• Bearing in mind the Inspector's decision in the Sovereign House appeal and the more recent decision in Tunbridge Wells, there is an urgent need to expose the 2007 Document and its formulas to the same (appropriate) nature and level of public consultations as the 2009 Document.
In light of the above Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council cannot endorse either the 2009 Document or 2007 Document for the purposes of full compliance with South East Plan policy CC7 or Tonbridge and Malling Core Strategy policy CP25, in Tonbridge and Malling Borough. The Council will nevertheless give consideration to these documents in its assessment of individual planning applications.

Reasons: As set out in the report submitted to the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board of 23 February 2010.