News | Housing update Government’s


datais ‘flawed’ JOHNHorne lives in Bearsted, is a member of Thurnham Parish Council and theKentAssociation for Local Councils. He says the Government’s


housing calculations are


“flawed” and Maidstone Bor- ough Council’s approach to deal- ing with increased demands lacks vision. He is urging the public to hold


the council to account for itsmis- takes in the Local Plan review consultation. He said: “Unfortunately, the


borough council simply didn’t want to listen to anyone able to tell them about the issues its planswould cause. “If the borough council isn’t


just a cipher for government pol- icy, it must pause and determine a robust way forward. The bor- ough council was very assertive about what it wanted to achieve fromits Local Plan and suddenly it’s not in its power to deliver it.”


MBC ‘unsure’


on final figure MAIDSTONE BoroughCouncil is unsure exactly how many extra homes will be needed to satisfy the Government’s demands, and how long its revised plan will ac- commodate the appetite formore properties in the south east. It is looking to provide the extra


homes on top of those in the Local Plan either by focused develop- ment in Maidstone, making all villages across the borough take a share of the extra homes or build- ing garden communities in the countryside.In the autumn, itwill release details of the building plots suggested in its latest “call for sites”,which itwill not consult the public on, instead announcing in February or March its pre- ferred approach to satisfying the development shortfall. To com- ment on the Local Plan, go to www.ma ids t o n e . g o v . u k / localplanreview.


downsmail.co.uk


Councils‘dithering’on a relief road solution


A TRANSPORT campaigner has called on the council to press ahead with large scale "garden developments" tomeet housing quotas but not send traffic through the county town. He believes proposals such as


the thousands of houses suggested in LenhamHeath -Maidstone Bor- oughCouncil's own scheme for up to 5,000 homes - and Detling are the least invasive providing infra- structure is there. He said MBC and Kent County


Council are "dithering" over a Leeds-Langley relief road. Sean Carter, pictured above, of


the South Maidstone Action for Roads&Transport (SMART) pres- sure group said: “It’s common sense to say the roads are not cop- ing. There is gridlock everywhere at peak times and the Maidstone gyratory systemis awaste of time because you can’t get to it for the traffic. "We have to recognise that a lot


of the traffic uses Maidstone not because it wants to be there but wants to get through it. So the


county town ends up being a sort of bypass of traffic getting to the motorways." Other camapigners have started


to call for an extension to the Leeds-Langley relief road plan to circumnavigate Maidstone alto- gether. The idea has started to gain political support at MBC and KCC,


largely because county


councillorGaryCooke has pushed for it.Mr Carter added: "KCC and MBC are nowdithering on the re- lief road but even thatwouldn't be built for 10 to 15 years. "So they'll have to be careful. If


you put the large scale 'garden communities' into the right places close tomotorways andmake sure the supporting infrastructure is in place, a lot of the traffic will have no reason to go intoMaidstone." He argued those proposed in Detling and Lenhamcouldwork.


Gary Thomas, Maidstone dis-


trict chairman of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, added: “There are so many things that have not been done, and others that should have been, but under- pinning most of them has been lack of foresight.” MBC insists it is working with


its partners, adding: “Themajority (of projects) are reliant on our part- ners in the NHS and KCC to de- liver, so we work with them to ensure they are completed within timescales.” MBC believes traffic mitigation


can be achieved by “modal shift” whichwould encourage residents to leave their cars at home in favour of walking, cycling or tak- ing the bus. Lib Dem council leader Martin Cox admitted last year he is not “100% sure”modal shiftwillwork.


Residents’ fears as Lenhamgrows and grows


LENHAM is preparing to dou- ble in size, with 500 homes ap- proved and a further 1,000 in the pipeline by 2031. But out on the horizon amuch


larger threat looms -Maidstone Borough Council’s own hush- hush application for up to 5,000 houses at Lenham Heath. With


18 Maidstone September 2019


itmight come schools, amedical clinic, shops and even a new motorway junction. Parish council


chairman


Richard Greenwood said he spends three days a week in talks relating to development in the area. He added: “We are at the mercy of the borough coun-


cil – only our Neighbourhood Plan will give us some control over where these extra homes might go.” Trafiic has increased, he says,


bringing noise, litter and in- considerate parking. The recre- ation ground and village school will have to expand to accom-


modate the growing population, while parking in the village square is “becoming impossi- ble”. He blames high-priced


homes, a lack of local jobs for creating a “commuter neigh- bourhood” which has little benefit to villagers.


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