Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Tough choices, few
It was billed as a night to expect fireworks as councillors met to formally – and finally – adopt the single most far-reaching planning document in Canterbury’s history.
On the cards was a slew of massive housing developments across the district, forever transforming this part of east Kent.
Opening the meeting of the full council at the Guildhall last Thursday, Lord Mayor of Canterbury Rosemary Doyle warned that we were in for a long night.
Yet the familiar faces who take an active interest in council affairs were able to leave before 9pm, with the issues around the 16,000-home Local Plan wellrehearsed and aired many times.
Critics have always said the scale of the proposed building is too great, particularly in south Canterbury where developer Corinthian has already won outline planning consent for the 4,000home Mountfield Park development.
Opponents fear – no doubt with good reason – that the housing estate will intensify congestion on Canterbury’s streets and worsen already poor air quality.
When the Conservative-controlled authority first published its draft Local Plan during the lifetime of the 2011-2015 administration, the Guildhall filled with people queuing up to denounce it.
They described councillors as stupid and accused the authority of deliberately setting out to damage the district.
They warned that when the government’s independent planning inspector got his hands on the document, he would rip it to shreds. Instead, inspector Mike Moore increased the number of homes needing to be built.
The Canterbury district was, in effect, being ordered to play its part in the government’s goal of a massive house-building programme over the next decadeand-a-half as it struggles to cope with a rapidly rising population.
At the Guildhall on Thursday, council leader Simon Cook argued that the authority could only retain proper control of the planning process with a complete and detailed plan.
“We don’t really have a choice,” the Conservative said. “If we don’t do this there would be no limit on housing numbers. It would be a reckless betrayal of our community.”
Fellow Conservative Steve Wil- liams’s Barton ward will contain most of the Mountfield Park development.
In a powerful address to the council chamber, he said: “What we have before us is a plan that the people of Barton have not endorsed because they understand its shortcomings in areas such as infrastructure and air quality. The alternative, however, to have no plan at all would be worse.”
Lib Dems Nick Eden-green and Mike Dixey have been the plan’s sharpest critics. Cllr EdenGreen said: “This is arguably the most important decision ever to shape the future of our district. Let nobody pretend that this is a plan to be proud of.