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‘Unnecessary damage’ fears for borough
PROTECT Kent says the scale of housing proposed for Maidstone borough will cause “significant and unnecessary damage”. The Maidstone branch of the group – formerly the Campaign to Protect Rural England – says evi- dence in the draft local plan does not jus- tify what would be a 30% increase in homes, from 64,400 in 2011 to 84,000 in 2031.
Director Hi-
lary Newport (pictured) said: “We are highly concerned that if these unrealistic and undeliverable tar- gets are adopted, Maidstone will suffer significant – and unneces- sary – damage.
“Maidstone growth figures are approximately 60% higher than the average growth in the South East and even greater than that of the national population.
“The report does not make any comment as to why this should be.
It also does not include figures for Kent, which has similar growth to the South East.” A total of 19,600 homes between 2011 and 2031 equates to 980 new homes per year in Maidstone. In Kent, only Dartford (1,153 homes per year) and Ashford (1,033) are accepting more. Other boroughs are working to lower targets: Dover (700), Canterbury (557), Swale (540), Tonbridge and Malling (425), Shepway (400), Gravesham (362), Sevenoaks (220).
Ms Newport added: “No attempt has been made, or included, to identify how any need arises. “If the figure for Maidstone of 19,600 was reduced to match the South East average of 10.8% this would result in a much more de- fensible and achievable figure of around 11,000 to 12,000 dwellings maximum by 2031, or even less if credit can be taken for the recent excessive supply.
“These numbers will also create the situation whereby Maidstone would have a current five-year land availability and gain more ability to control speculative developments.”
Local plan | News
BREAKDOWN OF HOUSING SITES (Number of homes allocated for each site)
LANGLEY / SOUTH OF SUTTON ROAD South of Sutton Road, Langley ..................................................................... 930 Langley Park, Sutton Road ............................................................................. 600 Kent Police HQ, Sutton Road ............................................................................ 115 Kent Police Training School, Sutton Road ..................................................... 70
HEADCORN / MARDEN / STAPLEHURST Fishers Farm, Fishers Road, Staplehurst ....................................................... 535 Hen and Duckhurst Farm, Staplehurst ......................................................... 370 Ulcombe Road and Mill Bank, Headcorn ..................................................... 240 The Parsonage, Goudhurst Road .................................................................. 200 Stanley Farm, Plain Road, Marden ............................................................... 170 Marden Cricket and Hockey Club .................................................................. 125 Grigg Lane and Lenham Road, Headcorn .................................................. 120 South of Grigg Lane, Headcorn ........................................................................ 55 Howland Road, Marden ....................................................................................... 55 Knaves Acre, Headcorn ......................................................................................... 5 Old School Nursery, Station Road, Headcorn ................................................ 5
BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA / COXHEATH / YALDING Forstal Lane, Coxheath ..................................................................................... 195 Heathfield, Heath Road, Coxheath ................................................................ 130 Linden Farm, Stockett Lane, Coxheath .......................................................... 85 Vicarage Road, Yalding ....................................................................................... 65 Heath Road, Boughton Monchelsea .............................................................. 25 Hubbards Lane and Haste Hill Road, Boughton Monchelsea ................ 20
ALLINGTON / BARMING/ FANT / OTHAM / TOWN SOUTH.......... 2,710 TOWN CENTRE.....................................................................................................1,375 HARRIETSHAM / HOLLINGBOURNE / LENHAM......................................605 BEARSTED / BOXLEY / THURNHAM...............................................................160
MIXED HOUSING AND RETAIL / EMPLOYMENT SITES (Number of homes which will be part of a mixed use development) Maidstone East and Maidstone sorting office, Sandling Road .......... 210 Former Syngenta works, Hampstead Lane, Yalding ............................... 200 King Street car park and former AMF Bowling site ................................... 70 Clockhouse Farm, Heath Road, Coxheath..................................................... 40
EMPLOYMENT ALLOCATIONS South of Claygate, Pattenden Lane, Marden West of Wheelbarrow Industrial Estate, Pattenden Lane, Marden West of Barradale Farm, Maidstone Road, Headcorn
TOTAL ..................................................................................................................... 9,485 J8 warehouse schemes rejected More gypsy
A RECOMMENDATION to reject land at M20 Junction 8 for ware- housing and employment will be one of the key bones of contention when councillors make their final decision on the local plan. A proposal by the Gallagher Group to develop land south of the A20 near Hollingbourne – Water- side Park – was refused by the planning committee three days after the council cabinet agreed with who officers believe the ad- verse environmental impact out-
Park and ride plan
A PARK and ride facility is planned at Linton crossroads.
With 1,000 spaces, it is hoped this would ease congestion on the southern approach to town. It would complement sites at Old Sittingbourne Road, London Road and Willington Street. In 2012/13 there were 400,000 park and ride transactions, down 7%on the past year. Just 2% of people use park and ride to enter the town centre at peak timses.
weighs the need for development on any of the land near J8. Officers say either Waterside
Park or Woodcut Farm, north of the A20, could accommodate the bor- ough’s entire need for industrial and warehousing space but they would prefer to see a dispersed se- lection of sites, using space in Pat- tenden Lane, Marden, and at Barradale Farm, near Headcorn. Latest studies into the need for employment land have revealed a greater need for office space and a
lesser need for warehousing and in- dustrial accommodation, say the council’s planning chiefs. It is proposed to allocate the brownfield site previously occu- pied by Syngenta / ICI at Yalding for mixed employment and resi- dential use – including 200 homes – as well as the site at Clockhouse Farm, Coxheath, which could pro- vide 40 more houses, as well as em- ployment space. Sites in Marden would continue to be used for man- ufacturing or distribution.
How you can have your say
THE planning scrutiny commit- tee was being asked to approve the draft Maidstone Borough Local Plan as fit for public con- sultation, while approving a fur- ther call for housing sites and sites for gypsy and traveller pitches.
Officers stress they are not seeking members’ approval of all the sites included – just a gen- eral agreement that the plan is in
a fit state to go out for public consultation. Once residents’ views have
been taken into account, a defin- itive draft will be put together for further public consultation. The first consultation period is between Friday, March 21 and Wednesday, May 7 at 5pm. To see the draft local plan in full, go to the news section of
www.downsmail.co.uk
sites needed
AN external assessment says Maid- stone Council needs to find 187 gypsy and traveller pitches and 10 for travelling showpeople by 2031. Officers expect these to be pro- vided through privately-owned and affordable pitches on publicly owned sites.
Sites providing 57 pitches have been granted planning permission since 2011 and sites delivering a further 23 pitches are allocated in the local plan, so the council ex- pects to make a further call for sites, as part of the consultation, to help meet the shortfall. The proposed sites are: Flips Hole, South Street Road, Stockbury (5) The Ash, Yelsted Road, Stock- bury (5) The Chances, Lughorse Lane, Hunton (4) Hawthorn Farm, Pye Corner, Ul- combe (3) Oak Lodge, Tilden Lane, Marden (2) Little Boarden, Boarden Lane, Headcorn (2) Cherry Tree Farm, West Wood Road, Stockbury (2).
Maidstone South March 2014 27
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