16 February 2021
A recent report from CPRE Kent, a charity that seeks to preserve the local countryside from inappropriate development, has revealed that Kent’s environment suffers the failings of flawed government planning policy.
"We are very worried about the threat now posed by predatory developers with the Local Plan looking increasingly like it will be rejected," said Tonbridge & Malling Green Party Councillor, Mark Hood. "The Borough Council currently only has a 2.6 year supply of new housing and has fallen behind the rate required for the first time in many years.
"Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council (TMBC) are challenging the figure of 2.6years in the Planning Appeal for the 40 Acre Field development between West Malling and East Malling. If they are successful the Borough has some breathing space. If not developers have a huge advantage in securing permission for 'sustainable development' irrespective of whether the site had previously been approved by TMBC.
"The fact that TMBC has fallen so far behind the 5 year housing supply benchmark puts the Borough at huge risk of speculative development.
"Even more worrying is the prospect that should the Local Plan be rejected it is likely that there will be a rise of at least 23% in the number of new houses Tonbridge and Malling is expected to accommodate, in an area with overwhelming percentages of Green Belt and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
"While Thanet Tory MP Roger Gale has spoken out against agricultural plans being used to build homes for people moving to Kent at the expense of local people our MPs have given their support to a Local Plan which dumps 5,000 homes on the Green Belt."
CPRE Kent's report can be found at: https://cprekent.org.uk/planning/surprise-surprise-kents-environment-suffers-the-failings-of-flawed-government-planning-policy/
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