Medway Local Plan (Regulation 18, 2024)

I think the council should go beyond the statutory 10% increase wherever possible.

BNG can: improve quality of life, have a positive impact on mental health, improve air quality improve quality of life increase agricultural yield capture carbon increase tourism thereby having financial benefits support rural communities promote habitat conservation and enhancement Having said the above though, it is important that BNG cannot be sort through development of food producing land. It is not feasible to rely solely on parks situated within and urban setting. People expect to see and enjoy the open countryside as well as isolated green spaces within heavily built up areas.

Again, this is a question which requires reading and understanding of the documents linked below. It is unreasonable for the council to expect residents to read and inwardly digest these documents in order to make a reasoned argument.

Yes, I do think the council should identify landscapes of local value as an additional designation. There are many places within Medway that residents value for numerous reasons. .

There are many places within Medway that residents value for numerous reasons. You only have to look at the decade long fight by local residents against development of the Capstone Valley including Gibraltar Farm and the fight now being taken to the high court by local residents against the development of Lidsing. For people to raise in excess of £70,000 by small donation and fund raising events makes a statement saying how locals value Lidsing, Capstone Valley, and strategic gap between Medway and Maidstone. I believe the area from Luton Recreation ground by the Waggon at Hale, through Capstone Road and Lidsing Road to Bredhurst and Boxley plus Ham Lane and Sharsted Road through to North Dane Way should be considered for inclusion. The area is much enjoyed by locals and beyond for: 1. the open aspect of countryside as you leave the Medway Towns 2. the enjoyment of using these lanes for walking, running and horse riding 3. mental health purposes of escaping the hustle and bustle of the Towns. Unfortunately, Capstone Park also becomes very busy at times due to its trying to support an increasing population 4. support of local agricultural workers and businesses 5. restrictions on widening these lane making them unsuitable for supporting large scale development

Yes, I do but not only should the council be greening our urban areas but also conserving our existing green areas especially those currently being used for food production or other agricultural use of importance. My concern with councils proposals is that there is great emphasis put upon creating 'artificial' green spaces e.g. parks within the urban setting and not enough emphasis put upon those existing green spaces and open countryside.

As I have said in other comments, the council has provided guidance on strengthening green infrastructure but not enough has been done to consider existing agricultural land and too much consideration given to the creation of green spaces. The Nature Recovery Network must include our food supply alongside other benefits. We must maintain our ability to grow our own food on a larger scale not just at the individual allotment. There are young people in our community who would like to pursue a career in farming but by not addressing this we are denying them the opportunity. It would be great if Medway could lead the way in England in developing and base for the agricultural and skilled craftspeople. The King has created such an opportunity in Scotland for local young people to train in farming, rural skills and traditional crafts such as stone masonry. Medway is ideally situated to be home to such a centre of excellence. With the existence of many local historic sites providing employment for trainees and the qualified we could guarantee employment long term for our local population instead of outsourcing.

Again, you are asking people to read a legal document which is tie consuming and may be difficult to understand. By doing this you are restricting the number of people that can reply to you with their opinion e.g. the illiterate. Not having read the 2018 Green Belt document, it is my belief that the green belt should be maintained at all costs. There must be a curtailing of the urban sprawl that would connect Medway to London. In the 20th Century there was considerable absorption of Kent districts/towns/ villages into the urban sprawl of London and are now considered part of London e.g. Bromley, Orpington

Yes, I do. The outskirts of London appear to be ever expanding thereby narrowing the Green Belt. In order to maintain the strategic gap between London and Medway it may be necessary to extend the Green belt further into Medway and to expand the gap between Medway and other areas within Kent such as Maidstone and Sittingbourne.

I'm not sure a varied approach will be effective. What makes the council think that those in need of affordable housing would be less likely to want to live in the urban setting? Is it that the urban setting close to transport links would encourage more people from outside the area? Surely this would create a bedroom community offering little in the way of advantages for Medway.

I think any new housing should be offered to those living in Medway for at least 3-5yrs so that those residents are not forced out of the market by buy to let landlords and/or those migrating from other areas of Britain. There are too many people being ousted from London by either London councils or for financial reasons who are taking new builds and not giving locals a chance. This also increases the local population and so the housing need is never met unless existing Medway residents leave the area.

It is known that the current rental market is out of control. Monthly rents far outstrip mortgage repayments therefore I think a split should reflect this. Once people are submerged into the rental market it is unlikely they will ever be able to transfer to home ownership. More home ownership might have the effect of bringing down the cost of buying a home; adding to the rental stock would not necessarily have the same effect. Buy to lets should be restricted, council tenancy increased, home ownership increased.

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I think there are too many HMOs in existence in Medway. There appear to be high concentrations in the more deprived areas of the Towns. Those I have known living in these accommodations (some of which have been professional people waiting for more permanent accommodation) do not feel safe in their own home, often saying that there is high drug usage, a high number of the disenfranchised and a high number of unscrupulous landlords. No-one should live this way. HOs should be not be encouraged but if they are allowed should have an overhaul in the regulations governing HMOs and a percentage of concentration in areas set so that whole streets, or group of streets,are not given over to HMOs often making them 'no go' areas for other residents. I myself have stood alone on one of these streets waiting for someone and I immediately felt unsafe and phoned for help.

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