Similar to the Vision, the Objectives also fail to include reference to the strategic requirement to meet local housing needs. Objective 2 refers to homes and meeting the housing needs of Medway’s communities. Richborough is of the view that the text should be altered to acknowledge the need to meet the development needs in full, rather than limiting this to meeting the needs of existing communities. Richborough is also of the view that the requirement to meet housing needs should be the subject of a standalone objective.
Paragraph 60 of the NPPF not only establishes that housing needs should be met but also sets out the Government’s objective of significantly boosting the supply of homes. In light of the historic failure to meet the housing targets in Medway, the inclusion of a housing specific objective would stress the importance of the issue and ensure the efficiency of the Local Plan.
Richborough is of the view that the inclusion of Objective 2 alone is not fit for purpose and a new Objective should be provided to explicitly state that the full range of need for new housing should be met and integrate a focus on deliverability.