Development proposals are narrowly approved
Planning committee decisions criticised by county councillor
Development proposals along Sutton Road have scraped past Maidstone council, but only just.
The council’s planning committee had deferred making a decision on three applications in August, but when the items were presented again, they seemed almost as indecisive. The main issue was traffic congestion, with KCC objecting to all the sites on highways grounds.
Members were asked how they would have voted on an outline application from Bellway Homes for 250 houses on land north of Bicknor Wood. The developer has already lodged an appeal for non-determination. Members decided by seven votes to six they would have approved the plan.
Then they were asked to approve an outline application from Countryside Properties for 800 homes on land south of Sutton Road. Voting was six for and six against, but was approved after the committee chairman Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) used his casting vote in favour.
Finally, members were asked to vote on a detailed planning application for the first site, land north of Bicknor Wood.
A proposal to approve was at first rejected, but after a change in the conditions to ensure the developer pays towards a community centre in Otham, the application was approved by six votes to five. The debate took four hours.
The borough council was heavily criticised by county councillor Gary Cooke (Con) after it rejected a proposal from KCC to apply conditions to all three applications to “cascade” money set aside for road improvements towards the development of the Leeds/Langley Bypass.
KCC believes the traffic mitigation measures proposed by Maidstone such as an extra bus lane on the A274 will not solve the problem and a “strategic solution” would be necessary.
Cllr Cooke told the committee: “Your decisions tonight will be greeted with enormous disap- pointment by many residents. You have rejected an opportunity to work with KCC to deliver a strategic solution to what are strategic problems for Maidstone, which is a huge shame.”
Cllr Brian Clarke (Lib Dem) complained that the committee had only received KCC‘s offer in the form of an urgent update report as they arrived at the meeting without time to properly consider or consult on it.
He said: “We are all being asked to make decisions on the fly.”