HEADCORN MATTERS HEADCORN PARISH NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN: 2011-2031 ISSUED BY: HEADCORN PARISH COUNCIL 2015 – REGULATION 16 CONSULTATION HEADCORN MATTERS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Cllr. Lyn Selby Chair of Headcorn Parish Council would like to acknowledge and thank the following individuals and organisations who have helped in the production of the Headcorn Neighbourhood Plan: Co Authors: Dr Rebecca Driver and Michael Jefferys All the Past & Present Members of the Headcorn Matters Team, including the Steering Group, Extended Steering and Data Analysis Group with particular thanks to Chris Haynes, Hilary Hosford, James Ker and Tim Thomas. All the Members of Headcorn Parish Council, especially those past and present who worked from the beginning as part of the Data Analysis Group with special mention to Cllr Dave Andrews. All the volunteers who helped with the residents and business surveys. All parishioners and business people & owners who responded to the surveys, attended open meetings or just provided comments and feedback. Analytically Driven Limited Riki Therivel of Levett-Therivel Brian Whitely of Planning Aid Irene Seijo and the team at Design South East Sanderson Associates (Consulting Engineers) Ltd Maidstone Borough Council Southern Water 0 ISSUED BY: HEADCORN PARISH COUNCIL CONTENTS 1.0 Introducing Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 7 1.1 Why produce a Neighbourhood Plan for Headcorn? 9 1.2 The policy environment governing Neighbourhood Plans 12 1.3 The policy framework underpinning Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 15 1.4 Next steps for Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 20 1.5 Navigating Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 21 2.0 Setting the scene - Headcorn past and present 23 2.1 Headcorn’s landscape and setting 23 2.2 Headcorn’s history 24 2.3 Headcorn today 26 2.4 The environment and links to the land 27 2.5 A question of distance 32 3.0 Creating a Vision to meet Headcorn’s needs 39 3.1 Creating Policy Objectives to support the Vision 42 4.0 Overarching policies for development in Headcorn Parish 44 4.1 Design policy 44 4.2 Policies covering the natural and historic environment 49 4.3 Protecting key communal spaces, community assets and views in Headcorn 53 5.0 Policies for housing development in and around Headcorn’s village envelope 61 5.1 Defining the types of village housing development that will be allowed under Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 61 5.2 Policies on the extent and phasing housing development 65 5.3 Homes for emerging households and those with special requirements 72 5.4 Preconditions for housing development to be sustainable 83 5.5 Potential strategic housing development sites in Headcorn village 87 5.6 Site coverage, housing density and landscaping for strategic village developments 90 5.7 Policies on connectivity and access 93 5.8 Policies covering the mix and design of housing within Larger Village Developments 96 5.9 Policies for Micro Village Developments 97 6.0 Policies to support the local economy 99 6.1 Promoting the role of Headcorn High Street 100 6.2 Promoting tourism in Headcorn 103 6.3 Promoting employment sites in Headcorn 107 7.0 Ensuring that Headcorn has the right infrastructure 112 7.1 Road network, traffic management and road safety 114 7.2 Parking 116 7.3 Broadband 119 7.4 Sewerage provision in new developments in Headcorn 120 1 HEADCORN MATTERS 7.5 Energy generation and protecting the environment 121 7.6 Priorities for infrastructure spending in Headcorn 123 7.7 Monitoring activity 125 8.0 Policies for new development in the countryside in Headcorn Parish 127 8.1 Gypsy and traveller pitches 131 8.2 Monitoring activities for developments in the countryside 138 9.0 Summary of the policy framework 140 9.1 How do the policies met the vision underpinning Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan? 140 9.2 Summary of which policies apply to different development types 142 A1 List of abbreviations and definitions 147 A2 Headcorn’s evidence base 152 A2.1 Survey evidence for Headcorn 152 A2.2 Specially commissioned reports 154 A3 Summary of analysis of the sustainability of housing development in Headcorn 157 A4 Assessment of potential village housing sites 160 A5 Assessment of key business sites in Headcorn 163 A5.1 Barradale Farm, TN27 9PJ 163 A5.2 The Ringles Business Park, TN27 9LY 163 A5.3 Stonestile Business Park, Stonestile Lane, TN27 9PG 164 A5.4 Great Tong Farm, Great Tong, TN27 9PP 165 A5.5 Daniels Group Site, Biddenden Road, TN27 9LW 166 A5.6 Mixed Use Site: Naked Foods, Smarden Road, TN27 9HH 166 A5.7 Headcorn Aerodrome, TN27 9HX 167 A6 References 169 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Travel from Headcorn to key employment centres 35 Table 2 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP1 49 Table 3 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP2 and HNP3 53 Table 4 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP4 and HNP5 60 Table 5 Monitoring activities for Policies HNP6 and HNP7 71 Table 6 Monitoring activities for Policies HNP8A, HNP8B, HNP9 and HNP10 83 Table 7 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP11 87 Table 8 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP12 90 Table 9 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP13 and HNP14 93 Table 10 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP15 96 Table 11 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP16 97 2 ISSUED BY: HEADCORN PARISH COUNCIL Table 12 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP17 98 Table 13 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP18, HNP19, HNP20, HNP21, HNP22 and HNP23 110 Table 14 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP24, HNP25, HNP26, HNP27, HNP28, HNP29, and HNP30. 125 Table 15 Option for dispersal of gypsy and traveller pitches in Maidstone Borough 133 Table 16 Monitoring activities for Policy HNP31, HNP32, HNP33 and HNP34 138 Table 17 The link between individual policies and the Vision and high-level policy objectives underpinning Headcorn’s Neighbourhood Plan 141 Table 18 Summary of the policies that apply to different types of housing and commercial development 143 Table 19 Summary of the analysis of the level of housing development in Headcorn supported by sustainability considerations 159 Table 20 Summary of the results of the site assessment exercise 162 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Designated Neighbourhood Area for Headcorn Parish 7 Figure 2 Map of Headcorn’s position relative to local urban centres 8 Figure 3 Examples of Headcorn’s rural setting 23 Figure 4 Examples of Headcorn’s historic architecture 25 Figure 5 Evolution of Headcorn’s housing stock 25 Figure 6 Existing housing stock in Headcorn 27 Figure 7 Map of Geology of Kent 28 Figure 8 Examples of agricultural activity in Headcorn Parish 28 Figure 9 Tithe map of Headcorn from early 1800s 29 Figure 10 Examples of key aspects of Headcorn’s environment 31 Figure 11 Comparing distance travelled to work, 2011 34 Figure 12 Headcorn as a community 40 Figure 13 The changing face of Headcorn 41 Figure 14 A typical countryside scene in Headcorn Parish 43 Figure 15 Headcorn’s Conservation Area 45 Figure 16 Examples of developments that capture the village feel 46 Figure 17 Headcorn village street scenes – spot the odd one out 47 Figure 18 Important green spaces and wildlife corridors in Headcorn village 50 Figure 19 Map of the floodplains in Headcorn Village 52 Figure 20 Map of accessible natural green space (ANGSt) in Maidstone Borough 56 Figure 21 A view towards Headcorn village from the Greensand Way 59 Figure 22 Map of key views in and around Headcorn village 60 Figure 23 Number of planning applications granted in Headcorn Parish, split by development type, 2006-7 to 2014-15 63 3 HEADCORN MATTERS Figure 24 Map of the Headcorn village boundary 65 Figure 25 What type of accommodation would be ideal for those forming new households in Headcorn Parish 74 Figure 26 Map of estimated land needed for Primary School Expansion 85 Figure 27 Map of potentially sustainable options for Small and Larger Village Developments 89 Figure 28 Map showing connectivity within the village 94 Figure 29 Map showing traffic pinch points within the village 95 Figure 30 Map of tourism sites and activities in the vicinity of Headcorn 104 Figure 31 Headcorn Aerodrome 106 Figure 32 Map of key employment sites within Headcorn 108 Figure 33 How is the provision of different services and infrastructure rated in Headcorn? 113 Figure 34 Use of road markings to reinforce the speed limit 115 Figure 35 Map of off-street public parking facilities in Headcorn village centre 117 Figure 36 View of Headcorn’s rural setting from the Greensand Way 127 Figure 37 Examples of typical rural architecture in Headcorn Parish 128 Figure 38 GT1(2) Little Boarden, Boarden Lane, Headcorn 135 Figure 39 Map of sites close to village considered in the site assessment exercise, with their sustainability ranking 161 LIST OF POLICIES HNP1 Design policies for Headcorn 48 HNP2 Protection of Headcorn’s historic and natural environment 50 HNP3 Water Management and dealing with the risk of flooding 52 HNP4 Protection of communal spaces and community assets in Headcorn 55 HNP5 Protection of key views in Headcorn 59 HNP6 Definition of allowable housing development types in Headcorn village, 64 including maximum size HNP7 Phasing of house building in Headcorn 70 HNP8A Self-build housing 78 HNP8B Headcorn community self-build schemes 79 HNP9 Affordable homes 81 HNP10 Housing for the elderly and those with disabilities 82 HNP11 Preconditions for housing development in Headcorn village 86 HNP12 Potential strategic housing development sites in Headcorn Village 89 HNP13 Density and site coverage 92 4 ISSUED BY: HEADCORN PARISH COUNCIL HNP14 Landscaping in developments and the encouragement of new open and 93 recreational spaces in Headcorn Village HNP15