Issue - meetings

The report presents a set of Local Plan documents which, subject to the agreement of Full Council, are proposed to be submitted to the Secretary of State following public consultation required by Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Plans) (England) Regulations 2012. 

It also summarises the key matters arising from consideration of the draft Local Plan at the meetings of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board, including amendments incorporated; provides an update of the Local Plan evidence base; and sets out the next steps in the progress of the Plan.

Due to the size of Annex 2 this document will be circulated as a ‘hard copy’ to Members of the Cabinet. 

The report of the Director of Planning, Housing and Environmental Health presented a set of Local Plan documents which, subject to the agreement of full Council, were proposed to be submitted to the Secretary of State following public consultation required by Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012. 

The key matters arising from consideration of the draft Local Plan at the meetings of the Planning and Transportation Advisory Board were summarised, including the amendments incorporated in the draft Local Plan document.  The report also provided an update of the Local Plan evidence base and set out the next steps in the progress of the Plan.

Considerable debate ensued with particular concerns expressed about the capacity of infrastructure across the Borough and uncertainty about future investment.  It was noted that the sites proposed to be allocated in the Local Plan were themselves planned to bring forward infrastructure provision appropriate to new development.

The implications of not having an up to date Local Plan were discussed and the Cabinet concluded that, notwithstanding concerns about individual sites, it was preferable to take forward the Local Plan for submission within the six months transition period before the revised NPPF standardised approach to housing need assessment became applicable.

A local Member presented a petition on behalf of residents of West Malling, opposing any development on the Green Belt east of Offham Road.  This was noted and it was advised that the most appropriate course of action was for the petition to be included in the public consultation that would take place should the Local Plan be approved by the Council.

The Cabinet acknowledged the work of officers in developing the Local Plan and the Leader thanked all Members for their contribution to the process and to the meeting.

RECOMMENDED:  That

(1)             the content of the report be noted; and

(2)             the Local Plan and accompanying documents appended to the report be commended to full Council for approval for the purposes of public consultations and submission to the Secretary of State in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012.

*Referred to Council