Prior to consideration of the item, the Mayor read out a letter received from the Western Residents and Councillors Forum which objected to the inclusion of Bobbing Garden Village as a strategic allocation within the Local Plan Review and expressed concerns regarding the impact of development on local communities and infrastructure.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report and moved the recommendations. He thanked the Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group (PTPWG) and officers for the considerable work undertaken in preparing the draft Local Plan Review, Sustainability Appraisal, Habitat Regulations Assessment and Infrastructure Delivery Plan. He explained that the purpose of the report was to seek approval to commence the Regulation 19 consultation on the draft documents.

Councillor Charles Gibson seconded the recommendations and reserved his right to speak.

During the debate, Members discussed:

•          the extensive work undertaken by Members and officers during preparation of the Local Plan Review;

•          concerns regarding nationally imposed housing targets and the effect these had on the Borough;

•          the risks associated with continuing without an adopted Local Plan, including vulnerability to speculative development and reduced ability to influence future planning decisions;

•          concerns regarding infrastructure capacity, including education, healthcare, water supply, highways and transport;

•          concerns regarding the inclusion of Bobbing Garden Village and the potential impact of development on local communities and the wider highway network;

•          the implications of the ongoing Highsted Park, Sittingbourne proposals and whether further delay to the Local Plan process should be considered;

•          the importance of securing affordable housing and ensuring a more balanced distribution of housing growth across the Borough;

•          the need to protect local planning policies and neighbourhood plans from challenge;

•          the environmental policies included within the draft Plan, including provisions relating to water infrastructure and sustainability; and

•          the implications of LGR and the potential consequences of failing to progress the Local Plan within the required timescales.

A number of Members opposed the recommendations, arguing that the scale of development proposed was unacceptable, that infrastructure provision would not keep pace with growth and that further consideration should be given to the implications of the Highsted Park proposals before progressing the Plan.

Other Members supported the recommendations, acknowledging that the Plan represented a compromise but arguing that an adopted Local Plan was essential to provide certainty, strengthen the Council's position when determining planning applications and protect communities from speculative development. Supporters also referred to the inclusion of affordable housing, environmental protections and locally developed planning policies within the draft Plan.

In seconding the recommendations, Councillor Charles Gibson thanked residents, Members and officers for their involvement in the process. He said that, while the Plan was not perfect, it represented the best approach available within the current national planning framework and highlighted the risks of further delay.

The Leader of the Council, in exercising his right of reply, reiterated that the Council needed to proceed with the consultation and that failure to do so would risk losing control of the process.

A recorded vote was requested and supported by the requisite number of Members.

In accordance with procedure rule 3.1.19(2) a recorded vote was taken, the result of which are as follows:

For:
Councillors Charles Gibson, Dolly Wooster, Julian Speed, Lloyd Bowen, Peter Marchington, Ashley Wise, Charlie Miller, Karen Watson, Tony Winckless, Andy Booth, Ben J Martin, Hannah Perkin, Kieran Golding, Mark Last, Paul Stephen, Angela Harrison, Carole Jackson, Hayden Brawn, Anne Cavanagh, Derek Carnell, Sarah Stephen, Tim Gibson and Mike Whiting. Total equals 23.

Against:
Councillors Tom Nundy, Chris Palmer, Richard Palmer, Kieran Mishchuk, Terry Thompson, Carrie Pollard, Mike Baldock and Peter MacDonald. Total equals 8.

Abstain:
Councillors Rich Lehmann, Pete Neal and Lee-Anne Moore. Total equals 3.

Resolved:

(1)To approve the changes to the proposed housing and employment allocations as set out in table I and paragraphs 2.2 – 2.6;

(2)To delegate to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the Planning and Transportation Policy Working Group (PTPWG) Chair, any required updates to and/or deletions of sites with extant planning permissions;

(3)To delegate to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the PTPWG Chair, any required updates and/or deletions to policies (Development Management, Strategic or Allocation) if required, once the transport and air quality modelling, Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment are complete;

(4)To delegate to the Head of Planning, in consultation with PTPWG, the inclusion of any required mitigations within policies (Development Management, Strategic or Allocation) if required, once the Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment is complete;

(5)To approve the Local Plan Regulation 19 document in Appendix I, the draft Sustainability Appraisal in Appendix II, the draft Habitat Regulation Assessment in Appendix III and the Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan in Appendix IV for consultation purposes; and

(6)To approve delegation to the Head of Planning, in consultation with the PTPWG Chair, any minor amendments and corrections to the Local Plan Regulation 19 document prior to the start of the consultation period.