Full call for sites list revealed
THE “call for sites” list has been released after months of secrecy by the borough council. We have obtained a summary of
plots put forward by owners to Lib Democrat-run Maidstone Borough Council. The authority has come in for in-
tense criticism, in its guise as a ‘master developer’, for spending tax-payers’ money on its develop- ment plan for 5,000 homes on Lenham Heath. It is also promoting a scattering of town centre “oppor- tunity’ sites for 1,000 homes. The latter would have meant a 14- storey tower block and the removal of the War Memorial at The Broad- way. These plans have been re- jected in the face of a massive public outcry and community op- position. The opposition Conserva- tive group doubted the whole process, claiming it encouraged speculation and increased resi-
dents’ anxiety. The senior leadership team at the
council has already agreed to de- liver 17,600 houses contained in the Local Plan. Fewer than 6,500 have been built, so far. But the call for sites submissions
will satisfy the need for another 10,500 in the Local Plan review. MBC's leaders have ruled out
cross-party pleas for a halt to all house-building while infrastruc- ture associated with its plans lags behind. Leader of the Opposition Con-
servative Group, John Perry (Sta- plehurst) said: “I’ve always thought a ‘call for sites’ would be a bad idea as it encourages every speculator to put forward any and every daft plan. "Some of the sites south of Maid-
stone, in places like at Marden and Staplehurst, are a case in point: transport infrastructure is so obvi- ously lacking and some of these sites have already been refused planning permission multiple times. “It
is disappointing that five
months have passed since the call for sites closed, but MBC have done little in that time to reject the really bad ones. A lot of people will suf- fer anxiety as a result.” Cllr Jonathan Purle (Bridge
Ward) said: “There are few sur- prises for Maidstone town because the council itself has been leading with some pretty bad ideas – like 14-storeys on the site of Lidl and Matalan. We need this council to stop any more high-rise buildings, reject the sorts of the awful mod-
ernist architecture that seems so prevalent, and come up with a plan for better roads, cleaner air, more school places and more GP surg- eries.” Independent Maidstone council-
lor Eddie Powell accused the coun- cil of “predetermining” its own proposals ahead of the other 300+ in the summary below. A senior building expert, who
asked not to be named, claimed that the construction industry had “gone berserk” over MBC's han- dling of the call for sites process. The council said MBC “takes a
pro-active approach to place-shap- ing, engaging with landowners and developers to give clarity as to what development it would be open to, rather than simply responding to developer-led proposals.”
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Maidstone December 2019
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