Design Code. Supplementary Planning Guidance Adoption - Consultation Statement .

1. Introduction

1.1 This document sets out how Ashford Borough Council has undertaken consultation to date in preparing the draft Chilmington Green Design Code SPD and the process it went through.

1.2 The Design Code document must be read in conjunction with a Regulatory Plan. To help with applying the Design Code an instruction manual is included on page 17 and 18 and a compliance checklist is featured in the appendix.

1.3 This consultation statement complies with the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 and Ashford’s adopted Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) 2013. The SCI outlines that the Council is committed to effective community engagement, and seeks to use a wide range of methods for involving the community in the plan making process. Corporately, Ashford Borough Council has a consultation policy which sets out its commitment to working positively with its voluntary and community sector partners, including marginalised groups.

2. Background Origins of Chilmington Green Design Code & Relationship to Local Development Framework

2.1 A large scale new settlement at Chilmington Green has featured in the Council’s adopted development plan for several years as a specific proposal for the strategic growth of the town. As the Local Development Framework subsequently took shape, the scale and vision for Chilmington Green took shape through comprehensive programmes of public consultation for each document stretching back over the last 10 years. The LDF documents and background evidence relating to Chilmington Green are set out below;

• 2006 - Greater Ashford Development Framework (GADF) originally illustrated a large scale development in this broad area.

• 2008 - Local Development Framework - Core Strategy (CS). The Core Strategy was subjected to significant consultation and was supported by an extensive evidence base. An Examination in Public determined that the Core Strategy policy approach was ‘sound’ and The Core Strategy was adopted by the Council in July 2008. This identified the importance of using Design Codes at Chilmington was specifically identified in Policy CS5, and the opportunities for wider use was emphasised in paragraph’s 5.21, 9.6, 9.40. The Core Strategy defined a Design Code as ‘A Design Code is a set of specific rules or requirements to guide the physical development of a site or a place. The aim of Design Coding is to provide clarity as to what constitutes acceptable design quality, and thereby a level of certainty for developers and the local community alike, that can help to accelerate the delivery of good quality new development.’

• Chilmington Green Masterplan & Area Action Plan – The comprehensive Masterplan was produced over several years and was supported by a range of evidence, most of which then formed the evidence base for the Chilmington Green Area Action Plan adopted in 2012. The Chilmington Green AAP and Masterplan form part of the Local Development Framework (LDF) and had regard to the guidance and policies in the Core Strategy. The AAP was primarily influenced by the Chilmington Green Masterplan but it recognised the key role of Design Codes to make sure that the high standards set for Chilmington Green are delivered and a place of real quality created . It also points out that Design codes supporting the main phase masterplan will be needed to define the character of different parts of the development. The Masterplan and AAP were subject to the following public consultation events and formal adoption processes including; § Four stakeholder workshops § Two public Exhibitions § A pre-application exhibition § A community planning weekend § A school workshop § Consultation with business community § Formal Presentations to Councillors. § Monthly meetings of AAP Steering Group § Community Stakeholder Forum § Parish Council's § South East Regional Design Panel A ‘Publication Version’ (draft version) of the Chilmington Green AAP was consulted on between 16 April and 11 June 2012. The Council received 541 formal representations from a total of 352 respondents. This included a petition of over 8,000 signatures against the development. Following an Examination in Public in January 2013, the AAP was found to be sound and was adopted by the Council in July 2013.

• The Chilmington Green Outline Planning Application was submitted in 2012. Members were resolved to grant permission in late 2014, but it has not been finally approved as it is still subject to the signing of a s106 legal agreement.

• The need to produce and use the design code for the detailed design of the place through the submission of future reserved matters applications, is firmly engrained in the reasons for approval. A comprehensive formal public consultation procedure of key stakeholders and local residents took place over a period of 8 weeks, which included; o notifying 2,619 individual properties within a 400m radius of the application site. This generated 134 objections, 1 comment of support and 9 general comments. o Prominently advertising the application in the local press o Putting up 36 site notices around the boundaries of the site (including listed building and Public Rights of Way notices where necessary). o 57 statutory and non-statutory consultees were notified of the application

2.2 The concept, format and role of Design Code has emerged through all these documents and is recognised as a critical part to achieving the Masterplan principles and ultimately a well designed place at Chilmington Green.

3. Consultation Process for The Design Code

3.1 The Design Code itself has also been subject to the following consultation stages, • Workshops including the housing consortium, local people and other stakeholders were held in July and October 2013 (See appendix 1 for a full list of attendees at workshops) • Ongoing feedback from Strategic Sites & Design Team Officers. • The following stakeholders were consulted and made comments on the early drafts of the Design Code.

Ashford Borough Council • Strategic Sites & Design, Planning & Development • Engineering Services, • Culture and The Environment Team • Tree Officer • Landscape Officer • Cultural Industries Manager • Senior Project Manager - SUDS and Drainage Strategy • Housing Officer, Community & Housing • Environmental Contracts • Deputy Chief Executive • Andrew Cameron WSP Parsons Brinkerhoff (Independent Highways Consultant advising Ashford Borough Council)

Kent County Council • Highways & Transportation – Officers across various teams • Regeneration • Archaeology & Heritage • SUDs Officer

3.2 In excess of 340 comments were received. The main issues raised by the comments and representations related to the following issues;

• Character Areas - How can the Code reinforce a clear identity with distinct characteristics for the different parts of Chilmington Green so the different neighbourhoods and centres have a strong sense of place that is clearly distinguishable from one another. • Relationship to Quality Charter – The Design Code must be based on the 32 themes of the Chilmington Green Quality Charter • Garden City Principles – The Design Code must be based on creating a place based on 21 st Century Garden City Principles. • Architectural Styles – The Code must work hard to establish aspirations for built forms based on a contemporary interpretation of a Kentish vernacular that is unique and of the very highest quality. • Density - Character will be primarily be determined by density and a genuine variation and gradation of density needs to be built in based on rear garden sizes amongst other things. • Street Design – The streets should be attractive, flexibly designed distinctive, robust, simple and easy to maintain and must not merely replicate standard highway solutions that are over engineered and often at odds with creating a strong sense of place.

Changes have been sought to address these matters in the final draft version now subject to the consultation.

4 Who Is Now Being Consulted

4.1 A comprehensive list of those being consulted on the Design Codes will be available on the website.

5 Next Steps

5.1 All comments received by the closing date of 12th April, will be collated and reviewed. It is intended the comments will be reported to Cabinet in May with a recommendation of any final amendments that are deemed necessary. Final approval of the Chilmington Green Design Code SPD will then be sought at the following Council meeting later the same month.

5.2 Should the Design Code be adopted, in subsequent years further refinement will continue to be needed as the development moves forward. The Code will therefore remain a ‘living document’ as it will need to be regularly updated in the light of experience and to assess how effective it is working at the very least at the end of each phase. Further public consultation is expected to be key to any such reviews.

Appendix 1 List of Design Code Workshop Invites (2013)

Paul Kitchingman Ward Homes Ltd Mark Bailey Ward Homes Ltd Richard Alderton Ashford Borough Council Hannah Beamish Surveyor Cllr Jessamy Blanford Ashford Borough Council Ian D Bull Ian Bull Consultancy Katie Chantler KCC Highways and Transportation Mark Chaplin Ashford Borough Council Paul Clokie Ashford Borough Council Jeremy Cooper Stagecoach in East Kent and Hastings Cllr Brad Bradford Ashford Borough Council Lydia Doherty Pentland Homes Ltd Christina Fuller Ashford Borough Council John Grant Kent Police Martin Hart Pentland Homes Ltd Rep tbc Chilmington Community Group Sue Head Ashford Borough Council Aline Hicks Ashford Borough Council Glenn Holliday KCC Highways and Transportation Lois Jarrett Ashford Borough Council David Jeffrey Ashford Borough Council Daniel Jones The Conservation Volunteers -TCV Paul Forrest-Jameson The Conservation Volunteers -TCV Rachel Jones John Thompson and Partners Katy Magnall Ashford Borough Council Ian McClintock Chilmington Community Group Roland Mills Ashford Borough Council Sarah Murray John Thompson and Partners Steve Parish Ashford Borough Council Ann Davies Ashford Borough Council John Pullen Landowner Pauline Pullen Landowner Peter Reed Hodsons Developments Cllr Mick Burgess Ashford Borough Council Wendy Rodgers Clare San Martin John Thompson and Partners Ian Rickards? Cllr Neil Shorter Ashford Borough Council Neil Tully Neil Tully Associates Matt Whitby Guy Hollaway Architects Guy Hollaway Guy Hollaway Architects Cllr Winston Michael Ashford Borough Council Ian Wolverson Chilmington Community group Michael Carr Great Chart with Singelton Parish Council Hilary Moorby Parish Council Cllr Brendan Chilton Ashford Borough Council Ian Dix Vectos James Hammond Kent Highway Services Alan Hodson Hodson Developments Christine Jakoby Neil Tully Associates Appendix 1 (cont) Malcolm Jarvis Jarvis Homes Mark Patchett MPCS Adam Parrott EC Harris LLP Chris Slack Vectos Cllr Jim Wedgbury Ashford Borough Council Jo Fox Ashford Borough Council Len Bunn Kingsnorth Parish Council Gerry Clarkson Ashford Borough Council Pieter de Villiers Environment Agency Colin Finch Kent County Council Adrian Fromm Kent Police Ron Buss PC Sean Hanna Natural England Cllr Bill Barrett Ashford Borough Council Bill Hollands Shadoxhurst PC Llywelyn Lloyd Ashford Borough Council Barrie Neaves Environment Agency Tim Read KCC Jennifer Shaw Ashford Borough Council Home & Communities Agency Aniko Szocs Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council Barbara Cooper Kent Highway Services David Wilford Wilson Bowden