PLANNING ISSUES EMT BRADBOURNE PROPOSAL - UPDATE FOLLOWING AREA 3 PLANNING MEETING

Statement on the Area 3 and Area 2 meetings held by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council

Last night at 17.30 the first of two meetings took place at the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Buildings in Kings Hill to discuss the planned large housing development that will consist of 1,300 new homes on the 80ha site between Kiln Barn Road, Ditton to Hermitage Lane, Aylesford and Barming. It also discussed upgrading the current footpath that crosses the East Malling Research site to a road linking Kilnbarn Road to New Road, East Malling and beyond.

The first meeting covered the villages and towns in Medway Gap – including Aylesford, Larkfield, Snodland and Bluebell hill.

TMBC had subcontracted planning advice on this development to external consultants who presented a pre-recorded slideshow and commentary to the meeting. It became clear that the consultants had addressed all issues raised prior to the meeting and had found nothing material to support rejection.

When parishes and members of the public were permitted to speak, 7 individuals spoke on behalf of parishes and themselves about the development. 6 were against and 1 was for. In their allocated three minutes, Ditton Parish Council summarised legal and policy requirements that clearly showed the development should not go ahead. Aylesford Parish Council also spoke against the project.

All but one of the objections Ditton Parish Council raised were dismissed. The remaining objection was that of potable water supply. This was supported by a letter that South East Water recently wrote to TMBC in relation to their Regulation 18 Planning consultation confirming that currently they are unable to supply and have no plans in place to provide sufficient potable water to the proposed number of houses planned for the next 15 years.

The proposal for the meeting to approve the development subject to pre-commencement conditions to assure the supply of water was lost (5 for, 6 against).The meeting then voted to defer the matter until further evidence can be provided to confirm the water position. This vote was passed (6 in favour, 5 abstentions)

Area 2, which covers East Peckham, East Malling to Borough Green, also met to discuss the plan afterwards. They spoke reviewing in particular the planned bus route running through the East Malling Research Land that would connect East Malling to Hermitage Lane.

The meeting highlighted in more depth flaws with the planning consultant’s work. The was no review of the bus routes on new developments the other side of Hermitage Lane. The committee discussed how the land might be quarriable, as Gallaghers Hermitage Quarry is one of the only Ragstone quarries left in Kent and is located on the other side of the railway line.

This committee also highlighted the delegation of responsibility for traffic issues on the A20 London Road to developers to solve. One councillor not from this area thought it could be suggested to ask that Ditton moves our war memorial and lose our protected village green status within our conservation area outside the school and church to help with traffic management.

In the end, after just under six hours of debating across the two meetings, both committees have voted and accepted to defer the judgement until further evidence and clarification can be sought.

This is a welcome outcome at this stage, but we are aware that the proposal was not rejected, and is unlikely to be so unless further material grounds emerge.

DPC will issue updates covering any new announcements and will continue to work alongside local TMBC Borough Councillors to resist this application.