Swanley Town Council Civic Centre, St Marys Road, Swanley, Kent, BR8 7BU Tel: 01322 611663 www.swanleytowncouncil.gov.uk SUMMONS Date 19th July 2018 Dear Member You are hereby summoned to attend a meeting of the Town Council at the Council Chamber, Civic Centre on Wednesday 25th July 2018 at 7:30pm or at the conclusion of the public participation session. Mr S Nash CEO / Town Clerk PUBLIC PARTICIPATION If required, the meeting will be preceded by a public participation period of up to 15 minutes in total at 7:30pm. Members of the public are also entitled to speak, during the meeting, on agenda items only and with express permission from the Chairman / Mayor. Those wishing to speak on an Agenda item must indicate this during Public Participation. ___________________________________________________________________ RECORDING (AUDIO AND / OR VIDEO OF COUNCIL MEETINGS AND USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA During this meeting the public are allowed to record the Committee and Officers from the front of the public seating area only, providing it does not disrupt the meeting. Any items in the exempt Part of an agenda cannot be recorded and no recording device is to be left behind. If another member of the public objects to being recorded, the person(s) recording must stop doing so until that member of the public has finished speaking. The use of social media is permitted, but all members of the public are requested to switch their mobile phone devices to silent for the duration of the meeting. MOBILE PHONES Member of the public are reminded that the use of mobile phones (other than on silent) is prohibited at Town Council and Committee meetings. AGENDA 1. To receive Apologies for Absence 2. To receive Declarations of Interest 3. SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT LOCAL PLAN To agree a response to the Sevenoaks District Council’s Draft Local Plan proposals If you would like further information on any of the agenda items, please contact Mr Steve Nash, on 01322 611663 or [email protected] Council Members: Mayor Cllr L Dyball Leader Cllr Morris Cllr L Ball Cllr Horwood Cllr V Southern Cllr C Barnes Cllr Halford Cllr P Darrington Cllr L Gaire Cllr Scott Cllr S Gaire Cllr Willingale Cllr T Searles Cllr J Barnes Cllr M Hogg Cllr E Komolafe Leadership Group Cllr R Morris Cllr V Southern Cllr M Horwood Cllr L Dyball Sevenoaks District Draft Local Plan Consultation July 2018 www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/draftlocalplan 2 Table of Contents How to Comment .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Foreword from Cllr Piper, Portfolio Holder for Planning ..................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 What is the District Like? .................................................................................................................................................11 Sevenoaks Vision 2015-2035 and Objectives of the Local Plan ......................................................................13 1 A Balanced Strategy for Sustainable Growth in a Constrained District ...................................................18 2 Protecting, Conserving and Enhancing Green Belt, Landscape and the Natural Environment .......44 3 Safeguarding places for Wildlife and Nature .......................................................................................................48 4 Ensuring Well-Connected Communities are Supported by Appropriate Infrastructure ...................53 5 Providing for Housing Choices ..................................................................................................................................59 6 Supporting a Vibrant and Balanced Economy .....................................................................................................72 7 Ensuring new development respects local distinctiveness ............................................................................83 8 Health and Wellbeing, Air Quality and Climate Change .................................................................................95 9 Leisure and Open Space ............................................................................................................................................102 Glossary ...............................................................................................................................................................................106 Site Allocation Acronyms ..............................................................................................................................................121 Use Classes .........................................................................................................................................................................122 3 List of Policies Policy Ref Title Page No Policy 1 A Balanced Strategy for Growth in a Constrained District 18 Policy 2 Housing and Mixed Use Site Allocations 36 Policy 3 Landscape and AONB 44 Policy 4 Development in the Green Belt 46 Policy 5 Ashdown Forest 49 Policy 6 Safeguarding Places for Wildlife and Nature 51 Policy 7 Transport and Infrastructure 57 Policy 8 Market and Affordable Housing Mix 62 Policy 9 Provision of Affordable Housing 65 Policy 10 Housing in Rural Areas 68 Policy 11 Provision for the Gypsy and Traveller Community 69 Policy 12 Housing Density 71 Policy 13 Supporting a Vibrant and Balanced Economy 74 Policy 14 Town and Local Centres 80 Policy 15 Design Principles 85 Policy 16 Historic Environment 90 Policy 17 Heritage Assets 93 Policy 18 Health and Wellbeing, Air Quality, Climate Change and Flooding 99 Policy 19 Open Space, Sport and Leisure 103 Appendices (available electronically) Appendix 1 New Housing and Mixed Use Sites for Consultation Appendix 2 Allocations and Development Management Plan (ADMP): Existing Housing and Mixed Use Allocations Appendix 3 Gypsy and Traveller Sites for Consultation Appendix 4 New Employment Sites for Consultation Appendix 5 Allocations and Development Management Plan (ADMP): Existing Employment Allocations Appendix 6 Proposed Design Guidance for Consultation Appendix 7 Town, Village and Neighbourhood Centres for Consultation Appendix 8 Proposed Open Space Designations for Consultation 4 How to Comment The consultation period runs from 16th July 2018 for 8 weeks. Comments should be received no later than 5pm on 10th September 2018. You can make comments using several methods: ▪ By completing the comment box for each section and policy in the online document on the consultation portal; ▪ By completing the comment box for each proposed development site on the interactive map at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/draftlocalplan ▪ By completing and returning the consultation form found on the consultation portal to either: - [email protected]; or - Planning Policy, Sevenoaks District Council, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1HG What happens to my comments? Once the consultation closes on 10th September 2018, all the comments will be considered by the Planning Policy Team. As this is a draft Plan consultation (known as Regulation 18), we are able to make changes to the Plan. We will then publish our final version of the draft Plan later this year, taking account of these comments. There will be another opportunity for residents and stakeholders to raise further comments (at Regulation 19 stage), which will be passed on to the Planning Inspector. This version of the Local Plan will be submitted to the Government and considered at a public examination in 2019 by the Planning Inspector. If approved by the Government, we hope that the Local Plan will be adopted and used by the Council later in 2019. 5 Foreword from Cllr Piper, Portfolio Holder for Planning I am pleased to be able to introduce the first draft of the Local Plan for Sevenoaks District which will guide housing, employment, retail and other infrastructure needs up to 2035. We have produced a Plan which will provide much needed homes for our children and grandchildren and offers more opportunities for first time buyers, the old seeking to downsize and more affordable homes. This is an important step in a process that we hope will lead to the new Plan being examined and adopted during 2019. This Plan will replace the existing Core Strategy (2011) and the Allocations and Development Management Plan (2015). This is now your opportunity to make your views known on policies and sites within the Plan and to contribute to what we hope is an ambitious and appropriate plan for the district over the next 15 to 20 years. Last year we sent a survey to every home in the District asking for your views on the ‘Issues’ facing the area over the next twenty years and our suggested ‘Options’ for dealing with them. We had a magnificent response – over 15,000 of you took part – and overwhelmingly you supported our ideas, which have been incorporated into this draft of the Local Plan. You said… We are proposing to… Continue to protect the Green Belt Continue to protect the Green Belt and only which accounts for 93% of the area support development in ‘Exceptional Circumstances’ (as set out by government) where it provides significant social and community benefits Build new homes on brownfield land Focus new housing in existing settlements and on brownfield land in the Green Belt Deliver