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Maidstone Council’s Core Strategy explained: Your Allington


Have your say TIME is running out for the people of Maidstone to have a say in the town’s future. Consultation is now well underway on two key plan- ning documents, which will help shape the Core Strategy forMaidstone borough. The council is consulting


the public on its strategic site allocations and a draft inte- grated transport strategy, and they have until 5pm on Oc- tober 1 to comment. The draft integrated trans-


port strategy, prepared jointly with KCC, sets the di- rection of transport forMaid- stone to 2026. Views are being sought on proposed schemes that will improve the highway network and public transport. Priorities include:


 Improvements to high- ways and motorway junc- tions where development is planned; Improvements to transport infrastructure at the rural service centres, including Harrietsham, Staplehurst and Headcorn;  Anew buslaneonthe Sutton Road;  Improved bus services on themain roads from the edge of the urban area into the town centre; Maintaining park and ride services. Both documents can be viewed and downloaded from the council’s website www.maidstone.gov.uk/ldf and are available for inspec- tion at Maidstone Gateway and all libraries in Maidstone borough during normal opening hours. The cabinet will consider responses in November.


Homes allocation MAIDSTONE Council’s pro- posed Core Strategy provides for 10,080 new homes, to- gether with employment growth by 2026. Approximately 80% of this growth will be accommo- dated in the Maidstone Urban Area, with the re- maining 20% in Marden, Staplehurst, Headcorn, Har- rietsham and Lenham. Approximately 880 new homes are proposed for the north-west of the urban area, with 1,075 homes proposed for the south-east. The ma- jority of the remainder are to be provided through existing or proposed planning per- missions in the existing built up areas with about 1,130 homes spread across the rural service centres as fol- lows: Marden, 320; Harriet- sham, 315; Staplehurst, 195; Headcorn, 190; Lenham, 110.


30 East


The Vision Bridge Nursery, off London Road – 165 homes East of Hermitage Lane – 415 homes, with links to Barming Station. West of Hermitage Lane – 300 homes. A pedestrian link to the sports ground off Cas- tle Way, as well as to local shops, schools and doctor’s surgeries.


Cabinet Council leader Cllr Chris Garland said: “There is a need for family housing in Maidstone and pro- viding ‘pockets’ of housing in the urban area, as the LibDems suggest, would not meet this need. “We would inevitably end up with lots of flats, which is not what we need; we need family homes. “We still have to provide a further 5,000 homes


by 2026, and if these were to be dotted around the town on available sites, we would end up with overcrowding, not decent family homes.”


Opposition


The LibDems are not opposed to all residential housing development in this area, but claim the current proposals are too big, do not relate well to existing communities and that the necessary infrastructure, particularly in transportation


“Bridge Nursery is the last pocket of accessible natural green space within an increasingly urbanised area and we believe this site must be removed from the list of strate- gic housing sites.”


Cllr FranWilson M20 Junction 7


The Vision Amaximum 150,000 sqmof specialistmedical fa- cilities in an enhanced landscape structure. This is un- derway, with the private Kent Institute of Medicine and Surgery hospital due to be completed in 2014.  Replacement retail facilities at Newnham Court Shopping Village, confined to the immediate vicinity of the footprint of the current retail park. Parkland nature reserve of 3.03ha on land to the south-east. Enlarging the NewCut Road roundabout


Cabinet The council insists the cumulativeamountof retail floor- spacewill be restricted to the provision of up to 500 sq mabove that which already exists at Newnham Court, and any additional retail floorspace above this limit must be complementary to the town centre uses. Council leader Cllr Chris Garland said: “We are trying


toaddress thedemandof themarket. The sameapplies to discussions about empty office units in the towncen- tre – businesses are not flocking to go there. “It will enable the replacement of existing retail so


there will be no conflict with the town centre, and there will be no future retail development over 500 sq m, which is very small. Ifwe do allowa retail development at Junction 7 itmust not conflictwith the town.”


Opposition TownCentre managerBillMoss said: “It is total bonkers that they are talking about building a retail park there.” Referring to the£3.9moutlay on the HighStreet proj-


“They could put virtually anything apart from retail there, and we would support it, because it would


not impact on us.” Town Centre manager Bill Moss


ect over two phases, he added: “The council has spent millions of pounds on improving the town centre and has made an absolutely fantastic job of it. “To even consider putting a retail park that would di-


rect peopleaway fromthe towntosomewhere one-and- a-half miles awaymakes absolutely no sense.We have avery strong retaileconomy inthe town, sowhy put it at risk by encouraging people to not go there?” LibDemmemberCllr Clive English said: “Thewording


they have in place at the moment leaves it open for someone likeNext to use it as a large out-of-town retail location. “The consequence of this type of development is that


town centre businesses could go bust, like they have in Ashford.”


Have you got news for us? Phone our News Desk on 01622 734735


terms, cannot be provided in the foreseeable fu- ture. In particular, it is felt the proposed housing development at Bridge Nursery would sound the death knell for a range of protected flowers and wildlife. Cllr Tony Harwood said: “Bridge Nursery is an


urban wildlife paradise which is home to a range of uncommon wildlife, including legally-pro- tected reptiles and ‘near-threatened’ wild flowers. “This land clearly requires to be protected in perpetuity for local wildlife and residents, and should not be sacrificed for development, when so many more other sites with no special signifi- cance for wildlife or local residents are crying out for regeneration.”


ALLINGTON


BARMING STATION


MAIDSTONE HOSPITAL


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