Medway Local Plan (Regulation 18, 2023)

I was very disappointed when I read through the above documents as local resident and horse owner /rider I felt that there was very little in the plan for us.
Firstly there was only footpaths mentioned no bridleway or byways etc nearly all the proposed housing is on green fields and open spaces 28500 new houses will cause a huge increase traffic in these rural areas which are probably Medway's best rural areas
There is very little in the plan for addressing these problems equestrians are already poorly served by the exciting rights of way in Medway and the plan has done nothing to address this
Whilst walkers have 100% of the public rights of way (PROW) network, nationally horse riders have just 22%. Within urban areas, equestrians often have substantially less and so inclusion in safety initiatives for vulnerable road users helps to keep them safer.The data for horse and rider injuries or deaths are increasing annually .It is vital that any opportunity to create extra multi user paths and behind hedge paths especially when they can join up excising bridleways
The Plan proposes a increase in housing by 1667 per year and with about7% of this number will want to ride and may want to keep their own horse locally this bring a huge increase to the local rural economy ie livery vets farrier feed and bedding supplies
The majority of horse riders are female and are 0ver 45 this may be the only sport we do we don’t use council run pitches sport centres or cycles tracks and the plan stated improving community facilities this should include provision for equestrians such as increase in rights of way space for livery yards and competition centre