Volume 1: Sustainability Appraisal of the Maidstone Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document 2023–2040

7 Site policy assessments

7.1 Preface

7.1.1 As noted in Chapter 6, following consideration of the SA findings and other evidence base information, MBC has identified 27 potential sites for allocation at this Regulation 18c stage of plan making. MBC has prepared 27 draft site policies, setting out the potential sites for allocation and their high-level site-specific requirements:

• Policy GT (LPR1) – The Kays, Heath Road, Linton;
• Policy GT (LPR2) – Greenacres (Plot 5), Church Lane, Boughton Monchelsea;
• Policy GT (LPR3) – Land at Blossom Lodge, Stockett Lane, Coxheath;
• Policy GT (LPR5) – Kilnwood Farm, Old Ham Lane, Lenham;
• Policy GT (LPR6) – 1 Oak Lodge, Tilden Lane, Marden;
• Policy GT (LPR7) – The Paddocks, George Street, Staplehurst;
• Policy GT (LPR9) – Flips Hole, South Street Road, Stockbury;
• Policy GT (LPR10) – The Ash, Yelsted Road, Stockbury;
• Policy LPR (022) – Land rear of Chart View – Site A;
• Policy LPR (023) – Land rear of Chart View – Site B;
• Policy LPR (256) – Stede Row Woodland, South of Pilgrims Way;
• Policy C4S (001) – Land at Kenward Road/The Cherry Orchard;
• Policy C4S (002) – Land adjacent to Shenley Corner;
• Policy C4S (003) – Wood View Farm;
• Policy C4S (004) – Acres Place;
• Policy C4S (005) – Dairy Lane, Chainhurst;
• Policy C4S (008) – The Lodge;
• Policy C4S (011) – Highlands Farm (East) – Site A;
• Policy C4S (012) – Highlands Farm (East) – Site B;
• Policy C4S (015) – Oakhurst;
• Policy C4S (017) – The Brishings;
• Policy C4S (019) – The Meadow;
• Policy C4S (021) – Chart View (Rear of 1 Chart View);
• Policy C4S (025) – Land rear of Building 8, Forstal Farm;
• Policy C4S (028) – Oakland Place;
• Policy C4S (029) – Peacock Farm; and
• Policy C4S (030) – Riverwood.

7.1.2 The site allocation policies prepared by MBC reflect the current available evidence at the Regulation 18c stage of plan making. Evidence gathering and stakeholder engagement are ongoing with the DPD consultation document yet to finalised, and as such there is potential for the policies to be updated at the next (Regulation 19) stage.

7.1.3 The site allocation policies have been evaluated in Appendix F. The location of the preferred sites is shown in Figure 7.1.

7.2 Overview of site policy assessments

7.2.1 The site allocation policies relate to proposed development sites which have also been assessed as part of the reasonable alternative sites in the SA process, based on the site assessment methodology as presented in Appendix B. The assessment of site policies has drawn on the findings from the post-mitigation evaluation of reasonable alternative sites (presented in full in Appendix E and summarised in Chapter 5) but also takes into account the further site-specific information and mitigation proposed through the site policies for the allocated sites.

7.2.2 The impact matrices for all draft site allocation policy assessments are presented in Table 7.1 below. These impacts should be read in conjunction with the assessment text narratives presented within Appendix F.

7.2.3 In most cases, the site policies set out details relating to the number of pitches that will be permitted, the total capacity of sites, the location of pitches within the sites, and requirements for landscaping schemes and ecological surveys to inform the developments. These requirements have led to the identification of minor positive effects or reduced potential for adverse effects, in terms of biodiversity (SA Objective 11) and landscape (SA Objective 13) for several of the site policies.

7.2.4 Adverse or uncertain effects remain where the site policies are unlikely to further enhance the site's sustainability performance beyond what was identified in the post-mitigation assessment (Appendix E). Recommendations have been made in Appendix F (and summarised in Chapter 8) to improve the sustainability performance of the site allocation policies as the DPD preparation and evidence gathering continues.

Table 7.1: Summary of site allocation policy assessments