Agenda item

Swanley and Hextable Master Vision

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Planning presented the report and provided an update on the Master Vision consultation agreed by the Planning Advisory Committee in July 2016 and Cabinet in August 2016.  It set out how consultation was undertaken and provided a summary of the analysis of responses undertaken by the Council’s consultants, both in terms of quantitative data taken from direct responses to the questions posed in the survey and more qualitative information taken from the range of comments and representations returned from the public and stakeholders.  He further advised that a petition which had not been accepted as a valid petition to Council had been taken forward as a ‘consultation response’ and thereby was brought to the Committee’s attention.

Based on the consultation responses received, the report provided a recommendation for the next stages of progressing the Master Vision work, and discussed how the regeneration work for Swanley and Hextable could be taken forward and refined as an element within the Local Plan preparation.  The report also outlined some of the detailed work needed to be commissioned if supported aspects of the Vision were to progress successfully.

He advised that the Planning Advisory Committee had considered and debated the same report and agreed to recommend it to Cabinet subject to removing the second clause of recommendation a).  This motion was seconded by Cllr Scholey.

The Strategic Planning Manager spoke on the item and summarised the matters contained in his written report for the benefit of the Cabinet.

The Chairman had agreed to exercise his discretion and allow some members of the public and non members of the Committee to address the meeting. 

 

The Cabinet was addressed by the following public speakers:

 

Mr Bob Alexander

Mr Robert Brickell

Mr Paul Darrington

Mr Michael Jenkins

Mr Martin Jordan

Mr Chris Prestedge

Mr Dan Wise

Mr Bob Wallis.

During the public speaking two documents were tabled with a view to being published. The Cabinet was addressed by the following non-Cabinet Member speakers:

 

Cllr Morris

Cllr Searles

Cllr Ball

Cllr Halford

Cllr Hogg

Cllr Mrs Barnes

Cllr Barnes

Cllr Scott

Cllr Horwood

Cllr McGarvey

Cllr Parkin

Cllr Gaywood.

 

Following discussion by Cabinet the motion was amended to include the second clause of recommendation a) with the use of the words ‘consultation response’ in place of the word ‘petition’.

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

 

Resolved:  That

 

a)     the public and stakeholder responses made to the Master Vision consultation and the observations made on the stakeholder response be noted, and the consultation response signed by 1,843 residents in opposition to the Master Vision acknowledged;

b)     the overall principle of regeneration and growth in Swanley and Hextable be supported;

c)     some elements of the Master Vision be addressed further within a Local Plan ‘Issues and Options’ consultation to be undertaken during 2017 with the exception of unsupported aspects, namely: facilitating new or improved Public/Town Council facilities and building a new hotel on the edge of the recreation ground; building any development on the recreation ground; and the proposals to build 3000 houses, or any large development, on the pieces of strongly performing Green Belt and Grade 2 agricultural land at the back of Archer Way which separates the communities of Hextable, Swanley Village and Swanley;

d)     the undertaking of further studies be supported, to assess in more detail the following specific aspects:

·       a development brief focussed on Swanley;

·       a full and comprehensive transport strategy plan to properly highlight how road infrastructure could be improved in the area to reduce congestion;

·       more detailed feasibility work related to the main elements of infrastructure; and

·       a financial assessment to refine the scale of development required to achieve a ‘critical mass’.

 

 

 

Supporting documents:

 

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