Hundreds of people attended a public meeting to discuss the Local Plan for Maidstone and I drew on the comments I heard on the night, along with the many emails and letters I have received, in drafting my own response to the consultation.
I am concerned that the number of houses in the plan is set too high and has not taken account of planning constraints, for example the ability of the local roads to cope;
I don’t think Junction 8, on the edge of the AONB and particularly so close to Leeds Castle, is the right place for development. I also question the rationale for locating jobs so far from the urban area of Maidstone and from most of the new housing developments;
People only had four weeks to respond to the previous consultation and I don’t think this was enough for everyone to input effectively into the content of the plan. Several parish councils complained about this to me.
While it is important to press on with the Local Plan, particularly so we can take control over incoming planning applications, we need to make sure it is a good Local Plan. I am very mindful of the need for more housing and employment opportunities in the borough, however this needs to be in the right places and at the right scale.
I am committed to making sure local people are listened to, and there is no question that the views of residents were heard by Maidstone Borough Council that night - I have urged them to take note in my submission.”
Click on the attachment below to read my full submission.
