The Future of Maidstone Special supplement, October 2020
Rush to prevent yet more houses
MAIDSTONE BoroughCouncil is at full steam ahead in its bid to beat a likely Government dead- line and to postpone another large increase in the town’s housing target.
The increase would destroy
many calculations and policies in its fast-emerging Local Plan Re- view and create a need for more of Maidstone to be developed. Under current Government methodology the borough must provide 1,214 houses a year, a fig- ure it is now mathematically chal- lenging as too high. Now Government wants to change the methodology – presently out for consultation – and Maidstone’s number could increase to 1,569 houses a year. This increases the number of houses by 5,325 during the Local Plan Review period end- ing in 2037 on top of the increase identified. The
Government is facing
strong opposition across the south of England, including many Con- servative MPs. Helen Grant, Maidstone and The Weald MP (pictured), is fronting the Kent protest and has signatures on a letter to the hous-
ing secretary of state from nine other Kent MPs.
If the higher figure is Govern- ment approved, Maidstone be- lieves the changes will be made while its Local Plan Review is still being prepared for examination and finally adopted in 2022. The Government has indicated transitional arrangements and Maidstone’s current major heavy- weight Review work is being ex- pedited at great pace to try to qualify for the lower target. Public consultation on the Local
Plan Review could be reduced to less than the desired six weeks in the drive to beat the Government deadline. A move to cancel public consultation was defeated by the council’s Strategic Planning and
Infrastructure Committee after advice from head of planning Rob Jarman and opposition from sev- eral councillors.
Cllr David Burton (Con), chair- man of the committee: said: “It is a mistake to introduce such in- flated housing numbers and ex- pect them to be delivered in Maidstone. The proposed in- crease is just not practical and should be reduced.”
Cllr Martin Cox (Lib Dem), council leader, said: “The pro- posed new housing numbers are a recipe for chaos and are under scrutiny from many quarters. This is to be expected as it has al- ready been difficult for us to reach current numbers and placed huge pressure on many of our communities. We are calling on Government to rethink and re- view their proposal.” l Submission of the Local Plan is currently scheduled for December next year for adoption in 2022 after a Government public appraisal.
Government
responses NATIONALLY, the Government’s latest drive for more housing would, over the next 15 years, add two million to the previous target of three million, with the southern half of England taking most of them. The 34 authorities in the Home Counties (including Maidstone) with local plans are estimated to see an average increase of more than 100% compared with plans already approved. Many MPs in these constituencies are voicing their deep concerns to Govern- ment with accusations of “concret- ing over the South East” with irreparable harm to the country- side. Government is now making some responses and says the fig- ures at this stage are only specula- tive, and is consulting on its new formula. Councils would still con- sider local circumstances in setting figures for their area.
Supporting future of Maidstone
8 New future for cinema
THE Call for Sites proposal for early-20th century Granada House and Gala Bingo indicates future use for retail and 100 residential units. Conditions are expected to include preservation of the listed building.
There has been wide public pressure for action on the high-profile old cin- ema building with its fading exterior since closure.
Surrounded
SQUERRIES Oast, off Church Road, Otham, a country house with a large garden, may poten- tially be bordered to the north and south by hundreds of houses allo- cated in Maidstone’s Local Plan. A Call for Sites offer has now been declared “suitable’ for about six residential units on the land.
Nursery homes?
RINGLES Nursery and Ringles Gate in Grigg Lane, Headcorn, would give way to up to 250 hous- ing units if a Call for Sites offer progresses.
The mixed commercial, resi- dential and horticulture site with a high proportion of green- houses covers 15.59 hectares.
Rotary Club of Maidstone 100 in 2022 - JOIN NOW
All the Call for Sites offers - see the ‘potentially suitable’ selection on p4
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