Medway Local Plan (Regulation 19, 2025)

Object

Representation ID: 4778

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

We are concerned at the absence of criteria included in policies allocating sites that have the potential to impact on the Kent Downs National Landscape. Without the assurances of site-specific requirements, the Plan does not provide the necessary certainty that sites would be delivered in a way that would conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Kent Downs National Landscape as required by the CROW ACT Section 85 duty.

Support

Representation ID: 4779

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

• Welcome requirement at 4a. for proposals to demonstrate a landscape led approach which takes account of, among other things, the setting of the KDNL.
• At 4b, we recommend that further clarification of the expectation is provided
‘b The structural landscaping will be planted at an early stage of the development and provide new habitats for priority nature conservation species and be appropriate to landscape character’.
• Request a requirement for 20% BNG delivery on this strategic site (Please see our response to Policy S2)

Support

Representation ID: 4780

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

The Kent Downs National Landscape team agree that the approach will need to be landscape led and heavily informed by views analysis.

Object

Representation ID: 4781

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

The policy wording fails to refer to, or include any requirement for development to respond to the site’s location within the KDNL setting. We consider that given the strategic scale of the proposed allocation, this should be addressed. Without such provisions, we consider it is not demonstrated that the allocation would be consistent with national planning policy and in particular paragraph 189 of the NPPF

Support

Representation ID: 4782

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Amend Paragraph 14.8.1 to more accurately reflect the designation targets of the Kent Downs “The Capstone Valley forms a steep- sided dry valley, consistent in landscape character to the Kent Downs National Landscape, which was the target with dry-sided valleys alongside the North Downs escarpment being the main target of for the original designation of the Kent Downs”.

Please refer to Letter containing all the responses of the KDNL Team for details of amendment sought as text formatting does not carry over into this Form. This letter has been submitted by email to the Planning Policy team at Medway Council.

Object

Representation ID: 4783

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Object to the wording of paragraph 14.12.6. which should specifically reference the need to avoid or minimize adverse impacts on the National Landscape.

Object

Representation ID: 4784

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Object to the highly limited criteria included in this policy, particularly with regard to Site CHR14. Without the assurances of site-specific requirements, the Plan does not provide the necessary certainty that sites would be delivered in a way that would conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Kent Downs National Landscape as required by the CROW ACT Section 85 duty.

Object

Representation ID: 4785

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Object to the lack of any criteria in this policy. Without the assurances of site-specific requirements, the Plan does not provide the necessary certainty that sites would be delivered in a way that would conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Kent Downs National Landscape as required by the CROW ACT Section 85 duty. Particularly require site-specific criteria for allocations HW6 and RWB2

Object

Representation ID: 4786

Received: 10/08/2025

Respondent: Kent Downs AONB Unit

Legally compliant? Yes

Sound? No

Duty to co-operate? Yes

Given that two of the site allocations CHR16 and RWB5 covered by this Policy lie in the immediate setting of the National Landscape this policy should include criteria should require that development is sensitively designed to avoid or minimize harm to the natural beauty of the Kent Downs National Landscape. Without the assurances of site-specific requirements, the Plan does not provide the necessary certainty that sites would be delivered in a way that would conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Kent Downs National Landscape as required by the CROW ACT Section 85 duty.