The opportunities identified in respect of Rural Development appear to relate primarily to land on the periphery of the peninsula or around the settlement of Hoo. The assertion in respect of the ability of Hoo to deliver planned growth without the HIF funding programme will need to be fully evidenced and justified as the Local Plan preparation progresses.
Richborough contend that Hoo can accommodate a level of residential growth but any transformational change of this area of the Borough will be severely hampered by highway and accessibility constraints as well as the need to provide additional services and amenities. The existing highway capacity issues will need to be comprehensively addressed, including those at the Four Elms Roundabout, as part of any Local Plan that seeks to allocate a strategic level of growth at Hoo.
There is a high dependence on private vehicles for most residents on the Hoo Peninsula given its relative poor access to public transport and the capacity constraints of junctions on the existing nearby road network. Future evidence base documents will need to clearly demonstrate how these constraints are to be overcome.
There are a handful of Rural Development sites that are less constrained by existing highway issues given their location closer to Wainscott and Strood. The Site promoted by Richborough is included in this tranche of sites and is also located close to the existing services and amenities of Wainscott, south of the A289. While the categorisation of sites in the Consultation Document does not comprise a spatial strategy for the distribution of growth, Richborough would question how the categorisation has been made. It can be argued, based on the Opportunities presented in the Consultation Document, that the SR17 Site is more closely aligned to the matters of relevance to the Suburban Development sites, rather than the highway focussed Rural Development site matters.
Richborough welcome further consultation with Medway Council and the Local Highway Authority on the access strategy for Site SR17, although a technical assessment of the local highway network has shown that the development of the Site for 800 dwellings can be safely accommodated within the highway network with the primary point of access being from Lower Rochester Road. The Emerging Concept Plan provided within the submitted Vision Document indicates a proposed new roundabout on this stretch of road. The Vision Document also refers to improvements to the Four Elms Roundabout, including an integrated left turn lane to ease congestion at this key pinch point. This work was originally due to be funded by HIF but is now proposed to be funded and provided by promoters of SR17, which is a major benefit of the proposals.
Richborough are aware of wider highway improvement schemes under consideration (some of which were reliant on the former HIF funding programme) and considers junction improvements proposed as part of proposed development at Site SR17 will help realise the aim of reducing congestion levels at Four Elms Roundabout and increasing capacity towards the Hoo peninsula.