Adopted Ashford Local Plan 2030
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Ashford Local Plan 2030 Adopted February 2019 Foreword Planning Our Future Together This is an important and exciting time for Ashford. The borough is growing and thriving as new projects start to take shape on the ground. Like many places across the country, we will see significant development over the next decade. Between now and 2030 a significant number of homes are set to be built within this borough through this Plan. As well as additional housing, we’re confident this transformation will continue to bring more investment, employment and opportunities for local people - and help the borough to prosper. However, I am acutely aware of the role that the wonderful countryside and environment that we enjoy here plays in making the borough such an attractive location to live, work and enjoy. The protection of the borough’s rural character is fundamental to achieving our wider planning objectives. This new Local Plan will manage and direct the new growth up until 2030 in a way that will protect what makes the borough a special place, whilst encouraging and enabling the high quality new developments that we aspire to see come forward. Groundbreaking new policies on residential space standards including gardens, the provision of fibre connections to residential and employment premises and the protection of the borough’s Dark Skies illustrate the council’s desire to create the type of communities we can be proud of. New policies for the governance and management of local facilities will help to ensure those communities remain attractive in the years ahead. The Plan makes the urban town of Ashford and its surrounding areas the main focus of new development, building on the unique set of attributes and connections that make it the UK’s International Town. Meanwhile it protects the setting and character of our rural town of Tenterden and the surrounding villages while still enabling them to evolve in a natural and managed way. There will be a need to have sites that are outside of the villages and indeed outside of the urban area. The preparation of the Local Plan has been a long and detailed process, taking into account the preparation of a detailed evidence base, numerous stages of consultation and an Examination in Public chaired by two independent Government appointed Planning Inspectors, whose recommendations have been incorporated into the Plan. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to the process and successful adoption of this Local Plan. We now believe we have a Local Plan that will meet our aspirations and deliver a bright and prosperous future for the borough. Cllr Gerry Clarkson, CBE, QFSM, BA (Hons) Leader, Ashford Borough Council CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION Page 1 CHAPTER 2 - STRATEGIC POLICIES Page 7 CHAPTER 3 – ASHFORD SITE POLICIES Page 43 CHAPTER 4 - TENTERDEN AND THE VILLAGES SITE POLICIES Page 127 CHAPTER 5 – EXCLUSIVE HOMES AND TRAVELLER SITES Page 189 CHAPTER 6 – HOUSING TOPIC POLICIES Page 197 CHAPTER 7 - EMPLOYMENT AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY Page 227 CHAPTER 8 – TRANSPORT Page 249 CHAPTER 9 - THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT Page 265 CHAPTER 10 - COMMUNITY FACILITIES Page 299 CHAPTER 11 – IMPLEMENTATION Page 311 GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS Page 317 APPENDICES Appendix 1 - Schedule of policies to be superseded/deleted Page 321 Appendix 2 - Local Plan 2030 evidence base documents Page 325 Appendix 3 - List of housing site allocations Page 330 Appendix 4 - Nationally and locally protected biodiversity designations Page 332 Appendix 5 - The Housing Trajectory Page 335 Appendix 6 - Monitoring Framework Page 336 Appendix 7 – Local Plan Policies in a Neighbourhood Plan context Page 346 Appendix 8 – The Evolution of the Local Plan 2030 Page 347 Appendix 9 – Strategic Diagrams: 1 ‘District Diagram’ & 2‘Ashford Urban Area’ Page 351 List of maps: Map 1: Ashford Town Centre Page 34 Map 2: Ashford Viability Areas Page 198 Map 3: Shopping Frontages in Ashford Town Centre Page 240 Map 4: Primary shopping Frontages in Tenterden Page 243 Map 5: Ashford Biodiversity Opportunity Areas 2015 Page 269 Map 6: Ashford Green Corridor Page 272 Map 7: Proposed Dark Sky Zone Page 277 i SCHEDULE OF POLICIES REF Policy Name Chapter 2 - STRATEGIC POLICIES SP1 Strategic Objectives Page 9 SP2 The Strategic Approach to Housing Delivery Page 22 SP3 Strategic Approach to Economic Development Page 27 SP4 Delivery of Retail and Leisure Needs Page 29 SP5 Ashford Town Centre Page 35 SP6 Promoting High Quality Design Page 40 SP7 Separation of Settlements Page 41 Chapter 3 – ASHFORD SITE POLICIES S1 Commercial Quarter Page 46 S2 Land North-East of Willesborough Road, Kennington Page 51 S3 Court Lodge Page 55 S4 Land North of Steeds Lane and Magpie Hall Road Page 60 S5 Land South of Pound Lane Page 64 S6 Former Newtown Phase 2 Page 69 S7 Former Klondyke Page 72 S8 Lower Queen’s Road Page 74 S9 Kennard Way, Henwood Page 77 S10 Gasworks Lane Page 79 S11 Leacon Road Page 81 S11a Former Bombardier Works Page 83 S12 Former K College, Jemmett Road Page 85 S13 Former Ashford South School, Jemmett Road Page 88 S14 Park Farm South East Page 91 S15 Finberry North West Page 94 S16 Waterbrook Page 98 S17 Land at Willesborough Lees Page 102 S18 William Harvey Hospital Page 104 S19 Conningbrook Residential Phase 2 Page 107 S20 Eureka Park Page 111 S21 Orbital Park Page 114 S22 Chart Industrial Estate Page 118 S23 Henwood Industrial Estate Page 120 S45 Land South of Brockman’s Lane, Bridgefield Page 123 S46 Chart Road Page 125 (site number reference explanation – see Appendix 8) ii Chapter 4 – TENTERDEN AND THE VILLAGES SITE POLICIES S24 Tenterden Southern Extension Phase B Page 130 S25 Pickhill Business Village, Tenterden Page 132 S26 Appledore - The Street Page 135 S27 Biddenden - North Street Page 138 S28 Charing - Northdown Service Station, Maidstone Road Page 140 S29 Charing - Land south of the Arthur Baker Playing Field Page 142 S30 Egerton – Land on New Road Page 144 S31 Hamstreet - Land North of St. Mary’s Close Page 147 S32 Hamstreet - Land at Parker Farm Page 150 S33 High Halden - Land at Hope House Page 153 S35 Mersham - Land adjacent to Village Hall Page 155 S36 Shadoxhurst - Rear of Kings Head PH Page 157 S37 Smarden - Land adjacent to Village Hall Page 159 S38 Smeeth - Land south of Church Road Page 161 S40 Woodchurch - Front Road Page 164 S51 Land North of Church View, Aldington Page 167 S52 Aldington, Land south of Goldwell Court Page 170 S54 Challock, Land at Clockhouse Page 172 S55 Charing, Land adjacent to Poppyfields Page 175 S56 Chilham, Branch Road Page 178 S57 Hamstreet, Land at Warehorne Road Page 181 S59 Mersham, Land at Rectory Close Page 183 S60 St Michaels (Tenterden) Land at Pope House Farm Page 186 S62 Woodchurch, Land at Appledore Road Page 188 (site number reference explanation – see Appendix 8) Chapter 5 – EXCLUSIVE HOMES AND TRAVELLER SITES S41 Chilham- Mulberry Hill Page 191 S42 St Michaels- Beechwood Farm Page 193 S43 Biddenden-Priory Wood Page 195 S44 Westwell- Watery Lane Page 196 Chapter 6 – HOUSING HOU1 Affordable Housing Page 200 HOU2 Local needs / specialist housing Page 204 HOU3a Residential windfall development within settlements (Replaces HOU3 and HOU4 contained within 2016 version of Plan which Page 207 are deleted – see Appendix 8) Residential windfall development in the countryside Page 209 HOU5 HOU6 Self and Custom Built Development Page 211 HOU7 Replacement dwellings in the countryside Page 212 HOU8 Residential Extensions Page 213 HOU9 Standalone annexes Page 214 HOU10 Development of residential gardens Page 215 HOU11 Houses in Multiple Occupation Page 217 iii HOU12 Residential space standards internal Page 218 (Policy HOU13 – Homes for Family Occupation has been deleted – see Appendix 8) HOU14 Accessibility standards Page 219 HOU15 Private external open space Page 221 HOU16 Traveller Accommodation Page 224 HOU17 Safeguarding existing Traveller sites Page 225 HOU18 Providing a range and mix of dwelling types and sizes Page 226 Chapter 7 - EMPLOYMENT AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY EMP1 New employment uses Page 228 EMP2 Loss or redevelopment of Employment Sites and Premises Page 230 EMP3 Extensions to employment premises in the rural area Page 231 EMP4 Conversions of rural buildings to non-residential uses Page 232 EMP5 New employment premises in the countryside Page 233 EMP6 Promotion of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) Page 236 EMP7 Primary and Secondary Shopping Frontages in Page 239 Ashford Town Centre EMP8 Primary Shopping Frontage in Tenterden Town Centre Page 242 EMP9 Sequential Assessment and Impact Test Page 245 EMP10 Local and Village Centres Page 246 EMP11 Tourism Page 248 Chapter 8 – TRANSPORT TRA1 Strategic Transport Schemes Page 253 TRA2 Strategic Public Parking Facilities Page 255 TRA3a Parking Standards for Residential Development Page 257 TRA3b Parking Standards for Non Residential Development Page 257 TRA4 Promoting the local bus network Page 259 TRA5 Planning for Pedestrians Page 260 TRA6 Provision for Cycling Page 261 TRA7 The Road Network and Development Page 262 TRA8 Travel Plans, Assessments and Statements Page 263 TRA9 Planning for HGV movements Page 264 Chapter 9 - THE NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT ENV1 Biodiversity Page 268 ENV2 The Ashford Green Corridor Page 271 ENV3a Landscape Character and Design Page 275 ENV3b Landscape Character and Design in the AONBs Page 275 ENV4 Light pollution and promoting dark skies Page 279 ENV5 Protecting important rural features Page 280 ENV6 Flood Risk Page 282 iv ENV7 Water Efficiency Page 283 ENV8 Water Quality, Supply