Heathlands Garden Settlement SPD

Comment

Representation ID: 595

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: EGERTON PARISH COUNCIL

It is vital that common areas, the country park , trees, green spaces and community buildings should be maintained well but the constitution of stewardships should be set up with good model codes of practice. All to often, assets in a community ca become liabilities if not managed well. In the first instance the developer should be the steward and planning permission should include such conditions for say 2 years after completion before handing over to a well-formed community group, management company or charity. It cannot be left to chance that communities will get together to take on this.

Comment noted.
The SPD includes guidelines and principles relating to Stewardship at Chapter 11.1 which requires an appropriate approach to stewardship must ensure that the quality of place and services delivered are exemplar and provide great places to live, work, visit, and play.

Comment

Representation ID: 596

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: EGERTON PARISH COUNCIL

Make developers liable for stewardship for first two years and monitor them. Planning authority to assist the formation of appropriate community groups or management companies or a new town council to take on the future liability. Funding to be flagged up.

Comment noted.
The SPD includes guidelines and principles relating to Stewardship at Chapter 11.1 which notes that developer contributions will be required to support the establishment of an appropriate approach..

Object

Representation ID: 597

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: EGERTON PARISH COUNCIL

The site is 330 hectares. 50% “green". Employment land 14 hectares. 5,000 houses take up 100 hectares, leaving 51 hectares for roads, parking, footways,a new station and its facilities. Verify if this is adequate.

Para 21 Transport Annex lists 8 lanes south of Heathlands ranging 2.5 - 5.5 m wide. Para 23 states the local roads will be part of an impact assessment with an outline planning application. But that's too late.
The A20 heavily used and congested especially when M20 is closed. Limited sections of dual carriageway. Tailbacks through Charing. Affects users from villages; cannot join A20.

Objection noted.
An indicative breakdown of land uses is set out at Figure 12 and shown as part of Figure 13 the Land Use Framework which takes into account the overall site area and extent of constraints. This indicates a total of 120 hectares for residential & mixed use, 15 hectares for community infrastructure and 19 hectares for infrastructure.
The SPD is supported by a Transport Annex and Assessment and sets out additional guidance on the approach to transport assessment and mitigation (Chapter 8) as has been agreed between Maidstone Borough Council, Kent County Council and National Highways.
The detailed design of transport mitigation measures will need to be set out as part of the formulation and consideration of future planning applications.

Comment

Representation ID: 598

Received: 15/12/2025

Respondent: EGERTON PARISH COUNCIL

The SPD reads as many aspirations and should be more focused as a working document, specifying conditions and criteria to be met. It should be consistent in using "must" rather than "may" and not allow misinterpretation as to what is mandatory, simply hoping should not count.
It should not include new policies, they should be in the Local Plan.
An SPD cannot be adopted unless it is supplementary to a Local Plan. MBC adopted the Local Plan Review as its Local Plan but says a Local Plan will still be prepared. So please confirm the Government's view on its status.

Comment noted.
The preparation of an SPD for the site is a requirement of Policy LPRSP4(A) of the Local Plan Review which was adopted in 2024.
The SPD sets out a range of principles & guidelines, infrastructure and phasing requirements and Officers consider this provides an appropriate level of detail at this stage in the planning process.
The SPD will be adopted by the Council to provide additional guidance for the site to inform the preparation and consideration of future planning applications.
The Council will be required to be prepare and review the adopted Local Plan on a regular basis, and the Government will in future require new 'Supplementary Plans' as opposed to 'Supplementary Planning Documents'. Further guidance and regulations are needed from Government before the Council can consider what Supplementary Plans will be produced in the future.