Lidsing Garden Community SPD

Comment

Representation ID: 849

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: National Highways

Planning Application Process
71
We note that there has been a minor change to the wording in relation to access: ‘This will establish the overall scope and scale of development and a set of design and development parameters, such as access, the disposition of land uses and scales of proposed built development.’
72
National Highways previously commented that an application, even if hybrid, must be accompanied by a TA and sufficient detail to assess the wider highways and transport implications. As such, in order to demonstrate NPPF and DfT Circular 01/2022 compliance on these matters, an applicant must, and in practice will, assess “access”. We note that it is assumed that the TA structure and contents set out in the Transport Annex will be adhered to, to ensure that this requirement is met.

Comment noted.

Comment

Representation ID: 850

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: National Highways

APPENDIX A: ANTICIPATED S106 REQUIREMENTS

73 National Highways previously noted that a Monitor and Manage / Transport Steering group should be identified as a specific requirement to be secured via a Section 106 agreement, as should the actual Monitor and Manage strategy itself. These will link to, but be discrete from, any specific transport mitigations which are required to be delivered regardless of the Monitor and Manage strategy.

74 We note that Appendix A has been updated to include references to 'the monitor and manage mechanism that should be enshrined in the S106 agreement.' as part of the requirements relating to 'Public Transport and Active Travel', and 'Off-site Highway Improvements' provisions.

75 It was also previously noted that the entry relating to 'Off-site Highway Improvements' needs to be caveated. National Highways cannot accept financial contributions. Rather, developer led fully funded, developed and delivered works secured through conditions and S278 agreements will be required. As such, we welcome the addition of the clarification that Improvements to the Strategic Road Network managed by National Highways will be led and fully funded and delivered by the developer and secured through S278.'

APPENDIX B: ANTICIPATED PLANNING APPLICATION

REQUIREMENTS

76 National Highways previously highlighted the need to include the following:

A Transport Assessment (TA) in accordance with the relevant prevailing national and local planning policy and guidance, and fully compliant with the requirements of National Highways and KCC

A site wide Travel Plan

A Construction Traffic Management Plan or Construction Environmental Management Plan to be submitted and agreed as part of each major phase of development

77 We note that these elements are now listed in Appendix B (extract below):

To be compliant with the latest Kent County Council Highways & National Highways Transport Assessment and Travel guidance. Details of what are to be included can be found In Appendix C of the SPD. Items Plan to be included include - site wide Travel Plan & Construction Management Plan etc.

78 It was previously understood that the Transport and Movement Annex was to be appended to the SPD as Appendix C, and this also appears to be referred to in the above extract from Appendix B.

79 However, Appendix C of the current Draft SPD under consultation consists of 'Design Coding and the 10 Characteristics of Good Design'

Page 980 Clarification should be provided regarding whether the intention is to include the Transport and Movement Annex as a further separate Appendix to the SPD when adopted.

APPENDIX C: DESIGN CODING AND THE 10

CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD DESIGN

81 We note that the 10 characteristics of good design includes 'Movement', in relation to which the Design Codes must demonstrate how proposals have incorporated a well-designed movement network and suitable hierarchy of street types that:

is safe and accessible for all

functions efficiently to get everyone around, takes account of the diverse needs of all its potential users and provides a genuine choice of sustainable transport modes

limits the impacts of car use by prioritising and encouraging walking, cycling and public transport, mitigating impacts and identifying opportunities to improve air quality

promotes activity and social interaction, contributing to health, well-being, accessibility and inclusion

incorporates green infrastructure, including street trees to soften the impact of car parking, help improve air quality and contribute to biodiversity

82 Whilst the current Appendix C provides useful general guidance regarding Design Codes, we would reiterate that it would be useful to understand whether the Transport and Movement Annex was also intended to be included as an appendix, to support the main SPD and provide additional evidence with regards to the expected transport impacts of the development and how these will be assessed in detail as part of the forthcoming Outline Planning Application (OPA).

Other Matters

83 National Highways has previously made a general comment re sustainability and the need to ensure that Lidsing is as sustainable as possible throughout the build out and not only at maturity. We would recommend that concise text be included within the main SPD to explain how measures to embed sustainability will evolve during the build-out of the development (i.e. with means provided to facilitate existing residents and businesses being able to take advantage of this evolution). This will then demonstrate how Lidsing will seek to mitigate risks that early residents or occupiers develop "unsustainable" travel habits which are resistant to change even once other elements of the planned transport provision come online. We would re-iterate this general comment in respect of the current Draft SPD.

Concluding Comments

84 We are generally satisfied that the draft SPD document achieves the necessary aims of setting out a clear "vision" for the proposed development and appropriately captures how this vision will be developed to form the basis of a forthcoming outline planning application.

85 We re-iterate that the Transport Annex contains a considerable amount of detail on how the forthcoming Transport Assessment will be prepared, with particular reference to Transport Modelling, the design of the required improvements to M2 Junction 4, and the development of the Monitor and Manage strategy. It is assumed that this document will be adhered to during the process of preparing the necessary technical assessments and reports to accompany the outline planning application.

Comment noted.
In relation to the Transport Annex officers consider that reference to this could be strengthened within the document to make it clear it should be taken into account in the preparation of future planning applications.