Medway Local Plan (Regulation 18, 2024)

Medway Council is publishing this detailed consultation document for gathering comments to feed into finalising the Draft Local Plan for publication in early 2025. This is a formal stage of consultation ('Regulation 18') in the preparation of a Local Plan.

This consultation document builds on the responses to the consultation 'Setting the Direction for Medway 2040' in Autumn 2023, in defining the vision and strategic objectives for the new Local Plan. We are now providing more information on proposed policies and options for a development strategy - the potential sites and broad locations that could form allocations for development in the new Local Plan covering the period up to 2041.

This document sets out a refreshed vision and strategic objectives for the plan, reflecting comments made in the last consultation and wider policy updates. The Local Plan will help to deliver on the wider One Medway Council Plan aims for the environment, health, decent housing, economic prosperity, caring for our communities and demonstrating pride in Medway.

The document is structured into chapters that consider the strategic direction of the new plan, including potential growth locations, and the policy areas that will manage development in line with the plan's objectives for sustainable growth.

This consultation document has been informed by an interim Sustainability Appraisal and Habitats Regulation Assessment, and a wide evidence base. The Council is publishing a number of reports that form part of the evidence base along with this consultation document.

A key aspect of this consultation is the consideration of spatial growth options and an indicative spatial strategy for where development could take place over the plan period. Medway has a high level of housing needs (1,658 homes a year, using the government's standard method), and complex sensitive areas and constraints, such as the natural and historic environment and infrastructure capacity. The Council is seeking a strategy to deliver sustainable development, that meets our communities' needs for homes, jobs and services, that can also protect our valued environment and improve services in line with population growth. This consultation considers how the plan could meet housing needs of around 28,000 new homes over the plan period. This scale of growth will involve significant change across Medway.

Chapter 3 sets out three broad options for growth:

• SGO1 – Urban Focus – this seeks to maximise development and density in urban centres and waterfront sites, with some limited growth adjoining existing towns and villages;
• SGO2 – Dispersed Growth – this provides for less urban regeneration and considers development across broader suburban and rural areas; and
• SGO3 – Blended Strategy – this promotes a 'brownfield first' approach supporting urban regeneration, complemented by greenfield sites in suburban and rural locations to provide for wider housing choice.

The Council has identified option SGO3 as its preferred indicative approach at this stage, and has set out more details of what this strategy could look like, in a draft policies map.

The proposed policy approaches are categorised as strategic, thematic or development management. They are set out in broad chapters by theme.

Chapter 4 – Natural Environment – provides an overview of the plan in mitigating and adapting to climate change, and policies to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscape, natural resources and strengthening green infrastructure.

Chapter 5 – Built Environment – outlines policies to conserve and enhance the historic environment and securing quality and sustainable design in new development.

Chapter 6 – Housing – sets out policies for providing for a range of homes, including affordable housing and specialist accommodation for different groups of residents, such as Gypsy and Travellers and students.

Chapter 7 – Economic Development – outlines the approach to manage land for employment uses to meet the needs of businesses over the plan period, including specific sectors, such as tourism.

Chapter 8 – Retail and Town Centres – provides policies to strengthen existing town and village centres as a focus for communities and businesses, and support a vibrant retail and commercial leisure offer across Medway.

Chapter 9 – Transport – outlines our vision and policies for sustainable transport as an intrinsic component of the spatial strategy.

Chapter 10 – Health, Communities and Infrastructure – outlines our policies to support healthier communities, and providing for services as part of sustainable development.

Chapter 11 – Minerals Supply – policies outline how the Council as a minerals planning authority supports the sufficient supply of minerals to support the economy, with regard to the natural environment.

Chapter 12 – Waste Management – policies outline how the Council as a waste planning authority provides for the sustainable management of waste.

Chapter 13 – Energy – policies support our transition to net zero carbon by 2050.

The Council is consulting on this document and supporting materials from 15 July to 8 September 2024. All written comments will be recorded and published and considered in the next iteration of work on the plan. Further details, including how to submit your comments, are available on our website at: www.medway.gov.uk/localplan.