Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

Nothing chosen

Harrietsham Parish Council has viewed the documentation contained within the above consultation and requests that the following comments be taken into consideration when determining the suitability of future sites within the Borough. Site: C4S-028 – Oakland Place This site is located within the setting of Kent Downs National Landscape and is sensitive to its protection and enhancement. There is no indication as to number of pitches proposed nor detail relating to how the site will be developed in the future. The view of Harrietsham Parish Council is that this area, though having mobile homes sited within it, should not be further enlarged to increase the further urbanising effect of the open countryside. There are numerous policies contained within Maidstone’s adopted Local Plan including Policies LPRSP14(A) and LPRENV3 which all relate to the area’s protection. The National Planning Policy Framework places great weight on conserving and enhancing nationally designated landscapes and their settings. The presence of existing plots on this site does not justify further development. Any accumulative expansion would result in demonstrable harm to the landscape character and setting, which has not been adequately considered or addressed. Finally, the Maidstone Landscape Character Assessment advises that the site lies within the Eyhorne Vale Landscape Character Area which is assessed as being of ‘Good’ condition and of ‘High’ sensitivity with guidelines to ‘Conserve’. The fact the area is being considered goes very much against this assessment. Site: C4S-030 – River Wood Planning history for this site confirms permission was granted on appeal (Appeal Ref. APP/U2235/W/21/3283952) for six one-bedroom wooden cladded tourist lodges; subject to strict conditions and landscaping mitigation. The Inspector dismissed proposals for a caretaker lodge, recognising the sensitivity of the site and limited access arrangements as Chegworth Lane is simply a single lane track. The original application had a planting scheme in place, which was accepted by Maidstone Borough Council. However, this scheme would have shown no access to the area known as The Wildlife Site, due to its carefully worded Landscape design. The ecology report stated that the planting would serve the adjacent land, being ideal for its native inhabitants. Campaign for Rural England even suggested that the land surrounding the current caravan/tourist lodge site was not suitable for any further development and made reference to Maidstone Borough Council’s very own policies to justify their statements. Local Wildlife site MA11 was mentioned by Kent Wildlife Trust, who strongly objected to any incursion into the Wildlife area. Helen Forster from the KCC Ecology Department spoke of the significance of the adjacent land being a wildlife site, as well as the River Len Alder Carr and subsequent harm to such an important piece of land. The evidence provided by ecological specialists clearly identifies this land as an intrinsically important wildlife area which requires protection. The land in question has seen development occur in recent months by the import of concrete and hardstanding. Aerial imagery confirms that many trees have been removed for the construction of a road. Such matters should be subject to enforcement action as opposed to simply allowing the land to be adopted in the Council’s call for sites. The original site was accepted as a field with six tourist lodges, with strict conditions, that did not allow for certain practices, let alone a further incursion into the Wildlife Site. The Parish Council notes that recent press interest has highlighted that the Government is facing demands to crack down on illegal traveller sites; noting that the number of caravans parked in unauthorised camps rose by a fifth in a year. Official statistics show that there are 4,464 mobile homes parked on land without planning permission in 2025. An increase of 21% on the previous year. Evidence suggests that high profile cases where travellers had purchased land in the countryside before laying tarmac, usually under cover of darkness, creating pitches before going on to seek retrospective planning applications to remove them. This has clearly happened with this site. Harrietsham Parish Council strongly objects to the inclusion of this site, which will not only harm but destroy the habitat within the Harrietsham Wildlife area and the Len Valley corridor. Site: LPR256 – Stede Row This site is located within the Kent Downs National Landscape and therefore designated as Countryside in the Maidstone Local Plan. The site itself is currently predominately woodland. The draft Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show people Development Plan Document (DPD) does not indicate the number of pitches to be allocated to this site, and therefore it is not clear to what the extent that the site promoter is prepared to develop this site. Regardless of this information, we believe that the site should not be designated a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show people development site as this this would be contrary to policies LPRSP9 – Development in the Countryside, and especially LPRENV3 – Caravan Storage in the Countryside, where the siting of caravans inside the Kent National Landscape is specifically not permitted. In addition, the introduction to policy LPRSP14(A) – Natural Environment in the Local Plan states that “protection of the natural environment sits at the heart of the planning system” which, we believe, must also be considered, in addition to the policy itself. In addition, paragraph 189 of the current NPPF states: “Great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in National Parks, the Broads and National Landscapes which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues. The conservation and enhancement of wildlife and cultural heritage are also important considerations in these areas, and should be given great weight in National Parks and the Broads. The scale and extent of development within all these designated areas should be limited, while development within their setting should be sensitively located and designed to avoid or minimise adverse impacts on the designated areas.” Finally, to the west of the site is located over 100 small plots. In 2021, one of these plots sought planning permission for a change of use of land to equestrian and associated development. This was refused and one of the reasons given was that the proposal "would fail to conserve and enhance the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside hereabouts.” We believe the same reason applies to the proposed Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Show people proposed site at Stede Row Woodland. The adverse impact caused to this nationally designated landscape of the highest value would be contrary to the Maidstone Local Plan; Maidstone Borough Council's Landscape Character Assessment (2012 amended July 2013); the National Planning Policy Framework (2024); and the Kent Downs National Park Management Plan (2021-2026). For the reasons set out above, Harrietsham Parish Council strongly objects to the inclusion of the identified sites within the Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document. The Parish Council considers that allocation of these sites would be contrary to Nations and Local planning Policy and would result in unacceptable harm to designated landscapes and sensitive ecological assets. Furthermore, it would undermine the proper protection the Countryside within the Borough.