Call for inquiry into homes figures
COUNCILLORS are calling for an external investigation into howMaidstone’s housing targets have been reached, after claims by a top lawyer that their figures are flawed. Six members called for the inquiry after leadingQC Christopher Lockhart Mummery claimed officers had misdirected Maidstone Council into making incorrect planning de- cisions over how it worked out the bor- ough’s land supply. But after the council’s barrister, Megan Thomas, disagreed with this view, the coun- cil’s chief legal officer Paul Fisher said it was up to the council to make a decision – it did not have to accept third party advice. A vote was taken for the issue to instead be examined by the scrutiny committee. The argument revolves around whether or
not the council has allowed for “windfall” sites in its assessment of housing land avail- ability,what precisely is classed as windfall – and whether or not there are likely to be any such sites. Current figures produced by council offi-
cers show a housing land availability of 4.2 years, but some members argued that the in- clusion of windfall sites would push it up to between five and seven years. As several important planning applica-
tions – including the development of 130 homes on the former MAPS site in Marden – have been granted, due to the council’s failure to have a five-year land supply, the answer as to who is correct could have seri- ous repercussions on planning consents. If the council’s barrister is incorrect, it
could mean the council was premature when it released for development greenfield sites at Bridge Nursery, land east and west of Hermitage Lane, land north of Sutton
Road and land north of Bicknor Road prior to completing its emerging Core Strategy. Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council sought advice from the counsel because the council’s decision to release for develop- ment Langley Park – which could contain 600 homes, a school, shops and a pub on fields to the north of the village – may also fall into the same bracket. OneMaidstone councillor told the Downs
Mail: “This is so serious that heads could roll.” Cllr Stephen Munford, who represents Boughton Monchelsea, was one of the six members calling for an inquiry. He argued KCC figures gave an average of 320 windfall sites per annum in Maidstone – which would more than satisfy the need for sites. But a report from head of planning Rob Jarman, backed up by an advice note from Ms Thomas, said the officers’ calculations, upon which planning permissions had since been determined, was correct. Local resident and chartered town plan-
Rocks rolled into place
“TWO Stones” – the first professional commis- sion by sculptor Antony Gormley – has a new home outside the Kent History and Library Cen- tre in Maidstone. The piece was originally commissioned by
KCCin1979aspartof its public artprogramme. At the time, Gormleywas studying at Maidstone College of Art. The piece featuresaneight-tonnewater-hewn granite stone from Scotland and a replica cre- ated from a bronze casting. Gormley’s original conceptwas that the granitestone representsa foundation stone for new development and the
bronze is the shell of new structures awaiting occupants. In 2010, the sculpture was removed from its
home at Singleton Lakes near Ashford, by KCC and last month, after extensive repairs, it was installed in Maidstone.
ner Paul McCreery told an extraordinary meeting of the council: “It is abundantly clear to me without any shadow of doubt that a mistake has been made and that Maidstone does have a five-year land sup- ply at this time.” Council leader Chris Garland declined to answer three questions from other residents at the meeting, relating to development in Marden, and Langley Park, until after the matter had been fully debated. Cllr Stephen Munford said: “We need to
take responsibility for this and have an in- dependent expert’s advice.” The council’s cabinet member for plan-
ning, Cllr Stephen Paine, said the matter should be discussed by the scrutiny com- mittee “which is where it should have gone in the first place”. The council’s all-party planning overview
and scrutiny committee was due to debate the issue further as Downs Mail went to press, giving an update to the full council the following day.
8 Town
To contact Downs Mail just phone 01622 630330
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