The image provided at Map 2, titled “overview of potential sites for Suburban Expansion” shows that the identified sites are located in the south east and southern parts of the Borough. Paragraph 5.35 identifies that:
“Land in this area lies close to Medway's boundary with neighbouring authorities, particularly Swale and Maidstone. Development in these locations would potentially have a cross-border impact. Development to the east of Rainham would erode the strategic gap between Rainham and Newington and add further to the congestion and pollution issues on the A2. Development to the south around the Capstone Valley would potentially adjoin the development of the proposed 'Lidsing Garden Community' in Maidstone. The landowner is promoting a cross-border masterplan. There are a number of potential impacts, including transport, infrastructure and the natural environment.”
In respect of the transport impacts, Richborough consider that there are likely to be substantial issues with the proposal to locate significant expansion in the southern parts of the Borough, including the ‘Lidsing Garden Community'. Development south of the authority boundary will not count towards meeting the housing requirement for Medway, but the resulting traffic will significantly impact M2 Junction 4 and the M2 corridor around the south of the Borough. This will potentially limit the opportunities available for sites identified within Medway to deliver effective mitigation.