News | Sutton Road
downsmail.co.uk No decisions on homes plans
THREE planning applications to introduce a total of 886 homes along Maidstone’s Sutton Road corridor have been put on hold.
All three developerswanted to pro-
vide 30% affordable housing, con- trary to Maidstone Council’s development plan document, adopted in December 2006, which seeks a minimum of 40%. The plan- ning committee ordered each devel- oper to produce a viability study explaining why they were unable to meet the higher figure. Itwas also proposed that the devel-
opers contribute a total of £2.65m to- wards a new northbound lane on the A274 Sutton Road, whichwould have bus prioritisation between 7.30am and 9.30am onweekdays. The committee felt this should be
looked at again, with Cllr Tony Har- wood, amember of the planning com- mittee, calling for a park and ride hub to be located on the Langley Park site and the main road to remain its cur- rent width. All three sites, shown right,were al-
Site ‘could be traffic rat run’ North of Sutton Rd
Proposal: 186 homes (30% afford- able); open space. Location: North of Sutton Road, east of Gore Court Road, south of Bicknor Wood, west of Redrow Homes plan. Developer: Bellway Homes Developer contributions: £1.35m towards new school at Langley Park; £558,000 for Sutton Road lane widening; £388,000 towards local secondary school improvements; £55,800 for Willington Street junc- tion improvements; main road pedestrian crossing link to Langley Park development. Objections: Otham Parish Council; 16 letters from neighbours.
FEARS of rat running were not al- layed by the proposed introduction of bollards to prevent vehicles accessing Gore Court Road from the site. The bollardswould not be removed
until phase two, which could see an extra 190 homes north of Bicknor Wood - a site allocated by Maidstone Council for housing. No application has been submitted for this phase. Cllr Gordon Newton, a local ward member, said motoristswould use the access to make a quick escape to the A20 via Otham and Downswood. He was joined by Otham Parish Council and Cllr Richard Ash, who feared more vehicles would head for his ward of Bearsted, in requesting the bollardswere closed permanently. Planning officers said the decision
on the bollardswould be taken if and when phase twowas determined.
12 Maidstone Town February 2014
located for housing in the council’s most recent local plan, which was adopted in 2000. Rob Jarman, head of planning,
warned that the deferrals could lead to a further delay in the delivery of the long-awaited forthcoming local
Tonight has been a waste of time. What
has happened tonight is going to cost this council dearly.
plan and add an additional shortfall to the five-year land supply, which councils need to satisfy to retain con- trol of where new housing would be built. “Tonight has been awaste of time,”
said Cllr Mike Hogg, a member of the committee. “What has happened tonight is going to cost this council dearly.”
BoughtonMonchelsea
Transport concerns set paern Langley Park
AROWover transport led to the Lan- gley Park development setting the precedent that led to the other defer- rals.
Cllr Tony Harwood and the Lib
Dems argued that a park and ride scheme,whichwas earmarked for the site in the 2000 local plan,would have been amore sustainable alternative to the proposed road-widening measure towards the Wheatsheaf roundabout. He said: “Park and ride will take
vehicles off the road, but widening what is a residential street will divide communities.” Cllr Stephen Paine, a committee member whowas in favour of accept- ing the proposal, said: “Sutton Road as it is cannot accommodate the in- crease in traffic.” Cllr Harwood won the argument, with the deferral agreed with nine
votes in favour and four against. Council officers will now attempt to negotiate a more sustainable trans- port scheme with the three develop- ers.
The proposed community centre
was a cause of concern, with Cllr Daniel Moriarty calling for it to be re- moved from the proposal for fear of reducing the demand at two other community facilities in nearby Park Wood: Heather House, in Bicknor Road, which has been refurbished; and the new community centre in the Longshaw Road area that forms part of Golding Homes’Wallis Fields de- velopment. This request was not taken on
board by the committee, and neither was Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council’s request for the developer to pay £1.9m towards a new village hall.
Proposal: 600 homes (30% afford- able); two-form entry primary school, community centre, retail area, new supermarket to open in 2021, allot- ments, public open space. Location: South of Sutton Road, east of Bircholt Road and Brishing Road, north of Stream Shaw, west of Lang- ley Park Driving Range. Developer: Taylor Wimpey Developer contributions: £14,280 per pupil for new school on the site; £1.8m for Sutton Road lane widen- ing; £180,000 for Willington Street junction improvements; initial £106,200 for improved health facili- ties in vicinity, £40,000 towards sports facilities in local area. Objection: Boughton Monchelsea Parish Council.
Sustainability impresses planners
West of BicknorWood Proposal: 100 homes (30% affordable); new access road from Sut- ton Road; play area; trim trail to the east; amenity green space around the borders. Location: North of Sutton Road, west of Bicknor Farm Cottages, south of BicknorWood, east of Bellway Homes proposal. Developer: Redrow Homes Developer contributions: £300,000 for Sutton Road lane widening; £40,000 towards sports facilities in ParkWood; £30,000 for Willing- ton Street junction improvements; £14,280 per pupil at new school in Langley Park; main road pedestrian crossing link to Langley Park development. Objections: Otham and Boughton Monchelsea parish councils; 12 letters from neighbours.
REDROWHomeswas applauded for paying greater attention to sustainability than the other two applicants. While TaylorWimpey and BellwayHomes proposed only level three on the code for sus- tainable homes, Redrow’s scheme was level four, with 20% of energy coming from low carbon measures sources. The layout was complimented by planning officers for incor- porating natural ventilation and optimising solar gain. Boughton Monchelsea was concerned by
the proximity of the Bircholt Road to the new access from Sutton Road. Neighbours voiced fears for the effect on nearby BicknorWood, an ancientwoodland.
ParkWood Senacre homes 186 Otham homes 100 homes 600 Langley Sutton Road A274
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