We are CPRE, the countryside charity. Formed in 1926, CPRE is a registered charity and one of the longest established and most respected environmental groups in England, with over 40,000 members and supporters living in our cities, towns, villages and the countryside. CPRE Kent is the largest of the CPRE county branches.

Our vision is of a beautiful and thriving countryside that enriches all our lives, and our mission is to promote, enhance and protect that countryside.

We believe that the planning system is a toolbox for achieving better – for people, nature and the economy – while supporting the delivery of more badly-needed homes to end the housing crisis.

In general, CPRE Kent supports a development strategy which meets the following criteria:
1. Brownfield first, especially in urban areas and not in rural areas where it would result in unsustainable patterns of development
2. Development should result in sustainable communities
3. Provision in rural areas where there is an identified local need and the scale of development is appropriate for the size of the settlement
4. The plan should promote development in locations:
a. that are well supported by, or that will support, sustainable transport and active travel.
b. that are well served by regular public transport services and social and community facilities, that are in safe walking and cycling distance or would support, or result in, a sustainable settlement.
5. Ensuring our unique English countryside landscapes are protected and valued for the benefit of current and future generations.

Overall, it is our position that local planning authorities should seek to ensure that the impact of development on the countryside, both directly and indirectly, is kept to a minimum and that development is sustainable in accordance with national planning policy.

Our detailed comments on the 2024 Regulation 18 consultation are as follows:

2.1 Vision for Medway in 2041
CPRE Kent considers that overall, the vision appears to be a comprehensive and ambitious vision with positive goals.
However, running to more than two pages of text it is very wordy and not easily digestible. Headings and bullet points would help in terms of presentation.