Local plans must be consistent with national policy but can also take on board local planning issues that are important to Maidstone.
The adopted Maidstone Borough Local Plan provides a framework for development until 2031. It plans for homes, jobs, shopping, leisure and the environment, and provides infrastructure to support these. The plan was formally adopted at Full Council on 25 October 2017.
The Local Plan Review will ensure that the Local Plan remains up to date.
Local Development Scheme
We're required by government to prepare a Local Development Scheme (LDS). A LDS sets out the timetable for the delivery of planning policy documents like our Local Plan.
We adopted our Local Plan in October 2017 and intend to review it. The LDS sets out the timetable for our Local Plan Review.
The Local Development Scheme 2020 – 2022 (July 2020 edition) which was as approved by Full Council on 15th July 2020 has been amended. The LDS 2020-2022 (July edition) outlined that a preferred approaches consultation (emphasis on future growth strategies) was to take place in October 2020. Then consideration given to more detailed topic areas in February 2021. There have been changes to the Local Plan Review timetable, and subsequently the LDS, to help Maidstone Borough Council respond to government proposals which will change the planning system. Among the proposed changes is an update of the standard methodology used to calculate housing need, as well as proposed interim arrangements for the new methodology to come into effect. Changes in methodology will have implications for the number of houses the Borough is required to provide.
The revised Local Development Scheme 2020 – 2022 (September 2020 edition) was approved by Full Council on 30th September 2020 and took effect the same day. The public notice can be viewed here.
The Council is currently complying with the timetable.
Statement of Community Involvement 2020
The Statement of Community Involvement 2020 sets out when and how stakeholders and the local community can get involved in the preparation of local plans, neighbourhood development plans and supplementary planning documents, and be involved in the process of decision making on planning applications.
There is a temporary addendum in relation to Covid 19 which can be viewed here.
The Sustainability Appraisal assessment process communicates significant sustainability issues and effects of emerging plans and policies. The appraisal informs the plan-making process by helping refine the contents of documents. This will help maximise the benefits of sustainable development to avoid or minimise adverse effects.
A Scoping Report has been produced to provide context and determine the scope of the Sustainability Appraisal. It sets out the assessment framework for undertaking the later stages of the Sustainability Appraisal.
The report has been published for consultation to the bodies of Historic England, Natural England and the Environment Agency. The consultation will run for 5 weeks between 4 February 2019 and 11 March 2019.cx
The authority monitoring report (AMR) for Maidstone provides a framework with which to monitor and review the effectiveness of Local Plan Policies.
The Call for Sites has now closed, and we are assessing the sites for inclusion within a consultation draft of the Local Plan. Sites submitted to the council after 1st March 2020 will not be included in the Preferred Options consultation document. The next opportunity to submit a new/alternative site, or comment upon sites will be during the next public consultation in late 2020. For more information visit our Call for Sites page.
Maidstone Strategic Housing Market Assessment
Maidstone Economic Development Needs Study Stage One
Maidstone Economic Development Needs Study Stage Two
Draft Strategic Land Availability Assessment
Strategic Land Availability Assessment, Appendix A - Green Site Assessments Part 1
Strategic Land Availability Assessment, Appendix A - Green Site Assessments Part 2
Strategic Land Availability Assessment, Appendix B - Red Site Assessments Part 1
Strategic Land Availability Assessment, Appendix B - Red Site Assessments_Part 2
SFRA Level 1 update and Level 2
Integrated Transport Strategy indications
Transport Modelling Draft Technical Note
Sustainability Appraisal/Strategic Environmental Assessment
Social Infrastructure Spatial Topic Paper
Retail and Leisure Spatial Topic Paper
Transport and Air Quality Spatial Topic Paper
The Sports Facilities Strategy and the Playing Pitch Strategy form part of the evidence base for the Local Plan Review. The strategies were presented and approved at the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transportation Committee.
Between 19th July 2019 and 30th September 2019 we consulted on the Local Plan Review Scoping, Themes and Issues (Regulation 18a). .
The next consultation, Preferred Approaches (Regulation 18b) for the Local Plan Review is due to be held in December 2020.