What’s going on elsewhere in the county …

NOT all councils have had to re-draw their targets: Sevenoaks District Council adopted its Core Strategy two years ago. It plans to build 3,300 homes during the plan period of 2006 until 2026 - the equivalent of 165 a year. This is the same target as previously assigned to the authority under the South East Plan.

2011 population: 115,400 Dover District Council adopted its Core Strategy in February 2010. It plans to build 10,100 homes between 2006 until 2026 - a rate of 505 homes per year. The figure is the same as previously allocated to it under the South East Plan, but

it has identified land for a potential 14,000 homes.

2011 population: 111,700. Tonbridge and Malling adopted its Core Strategy in September 2007, for 2006-2021, providing 6,375 new homes or 425 homes each year. But the authority is working on a new Local Plan, going up to 2031 and a figure is not yet known. The Government had suggested 9,000 new homes from 20062026. Selected by the Government as a Growth Area, Ashford Borough Council adopted its Core Strategy in 2008, with the aim of building 17,950 between 2006 -2021 - a rate of 1,197 homes a year. The council is now engaged in a review of the plan to extend the period to 2030. Under a previous plan, it was suggested Ashford take 22,400 new homes for the town centre growth area, with no specific figure for the rest of the borough. The authority had a population in 2011 of 118,400, but it is growing fast. Dartford plans to build 17,300 homes in the planning period 2006 till 2026 - an annual rate of 865 homes. The figure is very slightly less than that previously allocated to it under the South East Plan, which had been 17,340. No plans are in place to review this.

2011 population: 97,600. Canterbury City adopted its Local Plan in 2006. It wanted 10,200 homes from 20062026, a rate of 510 new homes per year. But under a review, the new proposals are to provide 15,600 homes between 2011 to 2031. That’s 780 per year. 2011 population: 150,600. Swale adopted its Core Strategy in 2008, to go up to 2026. It provided for the figure allocated under the South East Plan of 10,800 homes, or 540 per year. It is currently in the process of producing a new plan for the period 2011 till 2031. It has again adopted a target of 10,800.

2011 population was 136,300. Like Maidstone, Medway Unitary Authority has yet to have its Core Strategy adopted. Its first attempt was submitted for examination in 2012, butt it was challenged on bird protection grounds. A further hearing is scheduled for next week. If approved, Medway’s plan will cover 2006-2026 and provide for 17,930 homes - 815 new homes per year. The figure is the same as that previously set under the South East Plan.

2011 population: 264,900. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council adopted its Core Strategy in 2010, for 2006 until 2026. It provides for 6,000 new homes in that period - a rate of 300 per year. There are no plans to review the policy. The figure exactly matches the 6,000 target previously allocated to the town under the South East plan.

2011 population: 108,200. Gravesham Borough council has yet to have its Core Strategy approved, as its due to be submitted to the Government next week. It will cover 2011 to 2028 and seeks to provide 4,600 new homes - or 271 homes a year. Under the South East plan, the authority had been required to provide 9,300 new homes between 2006 to 2026, a rate of 465 homes a year.

2011 population: 101,800.