The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement introduced a report presenting the Allocation and Development Management Plan (ADMP) Pre-Submission document for approval prior to public consultation and submission to an independent inspector.  The report also contained a draft Green Belt Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) for approval prior to public consultation.  When adopted, the SPD would supplement the ADMP with more details about how the Council would consider applications in the Green Belt but it would not contain separate policies.  The ADMP and Green Belt SPD had been considered by the Local Development Framework Advisory Group with very few changes being made.  The minutes from the Advisory Group were tabled at the Cabinet meeting for Member’s information along with some additional maps showing the minor amendments that had been proposed by the Advisory Group. In addition to this the Chairman consented to a letter from Pro Vision being circulated amongst Members of the Cabinet for consideration.  The Pro Vision letter objected to undeveloped Land at Broom Hill, Swanley being included in the ADMP as protected “natural/semi-natural open space which would preclude some housing development on the land which had previously been promoted for some housing. The Pro Vision letter complained about lack of public consultation for this change and considered if the Council were to include the Land as currently proposed the decision may be susceptible to Judicial Review.

Members noted that the Equalities Impact Assessment concluded that the ADMP and the SPD would not have a differential impact which would adversely affect any groups in the community.

The Group Manager – Planning outlined a number of site specific issues that had emerged during the consultation process.  Officers had been working with stakeholders to address and resolve the issues.  In relation to the Pro Vision letter and in general Members were reminded that there would be two further opportunities to make representations on the ADMP, through the consultation to be arranged following the publication of the draft plan and through the examination in public.

Councillor Roddy Hogarth, speaking on behalf of Sevenoaks Town Council, reported that in respect of Greatness Cemetery, it was the opinion of the Town Council that the land had historically been included in the Green Belt in error.  As a result of this, the Town Council was asking that a correction be made and that the land be removed from the green belt to enable it to be developed, if necessary, for housing in the future.  In the response, the Chairman reported that he had some local knowledge of the area and noted that there appeared to be some errors in the map provided.  The Chairman suggested that the best course of action would be for the Town Council to make further representations to the Independent Inspector and through the examination in public.

The Chairman thanked Officers for their extensive work on the ADMP.

Resolved: That

(a)   The Pre-Submission version of the Allocations and Development Management Plan be approved and recommended to Full Council  for pre-submission publication;

(b)   The draft Green Belt Supplementary Planning Document be approved for public consultation;

(c)    The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement be authorised to agreed minor presentational changes and detailed amendments to assist the clarity of the document; and

(d)   Copies be made available for sale at a price to be agreed by the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Improvement.