CPRE Kent objects to sites on greenfield land

Posted 5th Nov 15, filed under Housing numbers, News, Planning

We have objected to the high number of inappropriate, unsustainable greenfield sites identified in the Maidstone Local Plan.

Commenting on the council’s latest consultation into additional site allocations, Gary Thomas, Chairman of the Maidstone Committee, said: “It is disappointing that Maidstone has set such a high housing target of 18,560 homes, the consequence of which is the number of inappropriate and unsustainable sites which could change the character of many villages and communities within the borough as well as lead to the loss of beautiful greenfield land and important agricultural land.”

View of valley from Boughton Monchelsea, photo by crocus08, flickr

We particularly object to the concentration of sites in Boughton Monchelsea:

Land at Boughton Lane Loose (75 homes) – grade 2 agricultural land, greenfield, within an area defined as the Loose Landscape of Local Value
Boughton Mount, Boughton Lane (25 homes)- grade 2 agricultural land, greenfield, within an area defined as the Loose Landscape of Local Value
Land at Church Street / Heath Road (40 homes) – loss of woodland, within Landscape Character Area No. 29 Boughton Monchelsea to Chart Sutton Plateau’ lack of school places and impact on pedestrian safety by school
Land at Lywood Farm, Green Lane (25 homes), – unsustainable location and increased traffic
Hubbards Lane (8 homes) – inappropriate greenfield site, grade 2 agricultural land.

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MPs asked to help protect the countryside

Posted 1st Oct 15, filed under Campaigns, Housing numbers, News

All the MPs in Kent have been sent a detailed map of their constituencies highlighting the proportion of countryside and the amount of it that is unprotected in a bid to raise awareness and build support for our campaigns to protect the countryside.

Elham Valley, photo by Avidly Abide

The maps detail how much land is in the Green Belt, protected by Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) status, covered by a local plan (in Kent only Shepway and Gravesham have local plans in place) and how much is unprotected.

As a result MPs should have a better understanding of the countryside in their area and how well it is protected. CPRE Kent hopes that the new map will encourage our local MPs to help protect the countryside from inappropriate development, and ensure that much-needed new homes are built in the right places.

Kent countryside by Grant Cherrington

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Lodge Hill decision called in

Posted 2nd Mar 15, filed under Housing numbers, News, Planning

A public inquiry is to be held over plans to build more than 5,000 homes at Lodge Hill on the Hoo Peninsula after the proposals were called in by the government.

Ministers said they would decide on the plans for the Chattenden site following requests from residents, Natural England, the RSPB and Kent MPs. The RSPB has said the land is home to 84 pairs of breeding nightingales.

Medway Council approved the plans for Lodge Hill in 2013. Proposals put forward for the former military site, owned by the Ministry of Defence, include housing, four schools, a healthcare centre and shops.

This ex-MOD site had been identified in the last draft of the Medway Local Plan as a significant strategic location for around one-third of all Medway’s identified housing needs to 2026. While this site was technically designated as brownfield in 2007, it has more recently been identified as one of the most important breeding sites for nightingales in the country; as a result of this, Natural England recognised its significance in 2013 by designating it a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)*.

This important designation was one of the significant reasons that the Inspector charged with testing the Medway Local Plan in 2013 advised that the Plan was sufficiently flawed that it should be abandoned; she wrote “… I am not convinced that the social and economic benefits … would outweigh the harm to a site of national importance.” She went on to state that the modifications that would be needed to prevent damage to the SSSI were “…so significant as to amount to the Plan being re-written”.

Let’s hope that the Secretary of State will give this decision the scrutiny it deserves. The National Planning Policy Framework makes it clear that in exceptional circumstances, the need for development might outweigh the importance of an SSSI or other important habitat. In this case, the independent Inspector made it equally clear that it does not. Let’s further hope that our National Planning Policy Framework lives up to its name this time.

*Natural England describes SSSIs thus: “…the country’s very best wildlife and/or geological sites. SSSIs include some of the most spectacular and beautiful habitats: wetlands teeming with wading birds, winding chalk rivers, flower-rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote upland peat bogs.”

Space for 70,000 homes on brownfield sites

Posted 26th Nov 14, filed under Housing numbers, News, Planning

Kent has enough brownfield land for at least 70,000 new homes, according to a report from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

The report, From wasted space to living spaces, identifies the capacity for at least one million new homes on suitable brownfield (previously developed) land in England. And of that, it is estimated that Kent has 1,600 hectares of brownfield sites which could accommodate at least 70,000 homes.

Much of this is in North Kent – in particular Dartford, with 669 hectares, and the Medway Towns with 127 hectares. But Dover also has 103 Hectares and Tonbridge and Malling 184 hectares.

Easter quarry Ebbsfleet, photo by Max Nathan

“We have long been arguing for development to be focused on brownfield sites,” said CPRE Kent Senior Planner Brian Lloyd. “At a time when there is great pressure for growth, by building on brownfield we would protect our countryside, help avoid the loss of productive farmland and regenerate our towns and cities.” Continue reading →

Discovery Park Plan Criticised

Posted 6th Nov 14, filed under Housing numbers, News, Planning

CPRE Kent has criticised a decision to approve 500 homes at Discovery Park in Sandwich, even though the area is not designated for housing.

Dover District Council planning committee is not following its own guidance set out in its Core Strategy. This does encourage educational and commercial development at the former Pfizer site but does not identify it as a location for housing.

CPRE Kent Senior Planner Brian Lloyd said: “Residential development has never been considered for this site – we ask why it was not identified during the drawing up of the Land Allocations Development Plan? This would then have saved other greenfield sites which have been included in the plan.

“What is the point of having a Local Plan if they ignore it – firstly with more than 600 dwellings allowed at the Western Heights and Farthingloe, part of which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and now 500 at Sandwich? That’s over 1,100 homes now agreed that were not envisaged in the Local Plan. This undermines the whole point of having a plan, which is intended to provide certainty as to where future development will happen.” Continue reading →

Plans for 450 homes “unjustified”

Posted 9th Oct 14, filed under Campaigns, Environment, Housing numbers, News, Planning

Plans to build 450 homes on Green Belt land in the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at Fort Halstead near Sevenoaks have been slated as totally unjustified by CPRE Kent.

Sevenoaks District Council has not considered alternatives to this mass housing plan which a developer claims is needed to secure employment prospects at the site.

Our comments come as part of the consultation into modifications to the council’s Allocations and Development Management Plan. A planning inspector has ruled that the site should be used for employment purposes, but accepted that would need “some level” of residential development to make it viable. However, officers misrepresented this to council members and said the inspector had accepted “significant residential development”.

CPRE Kent is very concerned that the Council then simply accepted the developer’s figure of 450 homes and relied on the developer’s own assessments rather than doing its own research, as asked for by the inspector.

“We agree that the site should continue to be used for employment,” said CPRE Kent Senior Planner Brian Lloyd. “However, it cannot be justified to build 450 homes in a remote area, without services and facilities, to support them. The council needs to carry out a proper assessment of how many homes are required and come up with alternative plans more in keeping with this sensitive site.”

If 450 homes were built it would equate to 15.5 hectares of residential development, plus additional land for open space and a village centre, all to achieve just four hectares of land for new employment. We fail to see how this would comprise an ‘employment-led’ development, as claimed by the council.

We are also doubtful of the claims that the area cannot attract businesses when its proximity to the M25 would make it attractive to potential employers. We ask why more remote sites in less prosperous parts of Kent, such as the Kent Science Park near Sittingbourne, are thriving and growing without the need for residential development to support them?

The site is in a prominent and sensitive position on the top of the scarp of the North Downs. Currently the development is low density and activity is largely confined to daytime.

“Building 450 homes would change the character of the site dramatically and forever,” said Brian Lloyd. “There must be better options.”

Ebbsfleet UDC Welcomed

Posted 6th Oct 14, filed under Blog, Dartford and Gravesham, Housing numbers, Planning

CPRE Kent has welcomed the creation of the new Urban Development Corporation for Ebbsfleet Garden City – but stresses the importance of sustainability and environmental protection in the decision-making process.

We agree with the UDC having powers to decide on planning applications, but local communities and elected parish, district and county councils must be represented.

CPRE Kent Director Dr Hilary Newport said: “The UDC must stick to existing agreements regarding infrastructure including schools, surgeries, hospital capacity and public transport. Also essential are excellent building design standards including visual appearance and energy efficiency, together with exemplary green space and community facilities. Getting all the key elements of delivery, design and community involvement right at Ebbsfleet will be a very important model for other garden cities across the UK.”

The comments were made as part of the consultation into the UDC which ended on Monday (October 6^th).

We agree in principle with the boundaries of the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation (EDC). However, the EDC includes a small area of the Metropolitan Green Belt, as well as land within the administrative boundaries of both Dartford and Gravesham Borough Councils and the proposed site of the London Paramount project. This will make it essential to work with all councils and communities in the area impacted by the development. The boundaries must also safeguard from housing development Robins Creek and Red Lions Wharf, as these minerals wharves are vital to provide for the bulk transport of minerals, thus avoiding additional congestion and air pollution if this transportation was switched to road.

#WasteOfSpace Campaign

Posted 2nd Oct 14, filed under Blog, Housing numbers, Planning

Have you spotted abandoned buildings and derelict sites in your area which could be used for housing development? The CPRE is calling on people to identify disused brownfield sites in order to save greenfield sites and help protect our countryside.

The #WasteOfSpace campaign is running until January 2015. Please join in by nominating a local brownfield site, for example an empty shop or abandoned factory. These will be added to an interactive map online which will help politicians and developers to identify sites and also raise awareness of the brownfield/greenfield debate.

“If more disused brownfield sites and empty buildings were re-developed, it would save greenfield sites and protect the countryside. Not only that but it would make our towns more vibrant and help get rid of eyesores and derelict buildings,” said CPRE Kent Director Dr Hilary Newport.

Abandoned building in Folkestone

So far three sites in Kent are on the map – the derelict building next to Grace Chapel in Folkestone; disused land in Island Road at Canterbury; and space in Rochester next to the bridge over the Medway. But we know hundreds more exist.

A CPRE report earlier this year found that the Government’s planning reforms are unnecessarily damaging the countryside and failing to prioritise the re-use of brownfield land and regeneration of urban areas.

“Brownfield developments can be costly because of de-contamination and complications over ownership, but these are all matters that could and should be overcome,” said Dr Newport. “They won’t be, though, if we continue to promote so-called easy to develop greenfield sites.”

To nominate a brownfield site and add it to CPRE’s ‘WasteOfSpace’ map of England, please send an image of the site (as simple as a quick snap on a smartphone) and an address of the site – either a postcode or rough street address. Send the image by:

emailing wasteofspace@cpre.org.uk
tweeting @CPRE with the hashtag #WasteOfSpace
posting to the Facebook group #WasteOfSpace

To view the map: http://www.cpre.org.uk/how-you-can-help/take-action/waste-of-space