Read Cllr Curry's latest blog on the Local Plan 2041 including why it is needed and what it means for Medway.
Our Regulation 19 consultation gives you the opportunity to comment on our preferred plan to make Medway a better place to live, work, learn and visit. This is the final chance to provide comments before we submit the draft Plan later this year to the government for independent examination.
Regulation 19 is a planning term from the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulation 2012 that refers to a stage in the Local Plan making process.
Our draft Local Plan is based upon the principle of providing sustainable development in Medway for the next 15 years. It has three key themes which need to be balanced as we look to the future – the economy of Medway, providing for our growing local community and protecting our environment. We have to ensure that as well as planning for the present we also think of the generations to come. This is not easy to achieve however, we believe though that this draft Local Plan achieves this balance.
Why we must have a Local Plan
It is a legal requirement for a local authority to have a Local Plan in place. In Medway, it has been more than 20 years since we adopted out plan. Without an up-to-date plan, piecemeal development will continue, and this means an unsustainable future for how Medway will grow. By having an updated plan, it gives us a strategy to ensure growth and in particular the right housing goes in the right places.
We can be proactive on growth, rather than reactive, ensuring we are in control of where the growth should be and what comes with that growth in terms of infrastructure improvements. The plan looks to set out a framework for where and how Medway could grow sustainably. An adopted plan gives us more control of our future in deciding where development and infrastructure improvements are needed across Medway.
This is the first stage in the preparation of our new Local Plan where the draft document has weight as a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. The Regulation 19 consultation is the last chance to make comments on the draft Local Plan before it is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. We previously held two public consultations in 2023 and 2024 under Regulation 18, where you could comment on the different options for development and the proposed policies.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR): What this means for our Local Plan
As you may have seen in the news, LGR is coming forward in the next few years (the merging of local councils into unitary authorities). While we don’t know at this stage how Medway will be grouped with our neighbouring local authorities to form a new unitary, we know that each new unitary council should have a population in the region of 500,000 (Medway has a population of nearly 300,000).
Our roadmap to a new Local Plan should see the plan adopted by the end of 2026. We may see the new unitary authorities formed in 2028. This means that should we get the Plan adopted, it will be in place for a few years before we merge this plan with the Local Plans of other local authorities within the new unitary authority to create one overall Local Plan for the new council area. This could come into effect around 2030. Whatever happens with LGR, we still need to get a Plan agreed for Medway.
Housing: We have to provide new homes to meet demand
The need for housing is great. We have to follow national planning policy when it comes to new homes. Back in 2013, 815 homes per year were needed in Medway. Now, we have to deliver 1,636 homes a year up to 2041.
Nationally, the current average age for first-time buyers is 37-years-old. As a local authority, we must play our part in helping both young and older people in the property market, ensuring a range of affordable homes comes forward, including apartments and 1 and 2-bedroom homes. A spatial strategy (with a brownfield-first approach) is the forefront of our plan, made up of 39% of development
to take place in urban areas, mainly on regeneration sites, 31% in rural areas, and 30% in suburban locations.
Protecting and enhancing our local environment
While a mix of housing development is key to suiting different needs, we are committed to protecting our local environment and iconic green spaces. We must protect our green corridors, such as Darland Banks, while exploring new opportunities to create new spaces for residents and nature. The draft plan sets out many opportunities that we can take forward with the right funding in place, including how we could use the disused tram link in Gillingham which connects the town centre to the waterfront.
Protecting the environment is a vital part to the plan and the delivery of sustainable development. We have an overarching policy for minimising and addressing the impacts of climate change, which sets out requirements for new development.
Policies also address the risk of flooding and how we can better manage water resources. Medway has a rich and diverse environment, with around 30% of our area designated of international or national importance for nature or natural beauty. The plan sets out policies to conserve and enhance nature.
The plan also supports the health and wellbeing of our communities, such as through access to green spaces, good air quality and attractive and safe walking and cycling routes.
Supermarkets: How do we make a decision on this?
National supermarkets will use Local Plans to see where there are opportunities in the market to grow their commercial space. We have outlined several locations in the plan for new food stores to come forward, including in Chattenden.
We know that the Hoo Peninsula needs a supermarket and have identified a site near Flanders Farm close to Deangate Community Parkland. The creation of the supermarket would also bring forward improved accessibility in the area, including a controlled crossing and pedestrian link to the new parkland which will be coming forward in the near future.
Health: what will come forward in terms of local services such as a new hospital and health centres?
We have been working closely with NHS and ICB and together we are all committed to seeing health facilities improve in Medway. Although this won’t mean a new hospital in Medway, the NHS and ICB are looking to develop specialist health hubs in locations where improvements are needed, such as providing spaces for new local health centres or GP practices. The James Williams Healthy Living Centre coming forward in the heart of Chatham is an example of this. We know there is also a need for local health hubs in Strood and the Hoo Peninsula and we will continue to work closely with the health leaders to bring forward these improvements.
This is our preferred plan but we still want to hear from you. Make your voice heard and take part in the consultation online, via email or post before it closes at 11.59pm on Monday, 11 August.
Visit our website for full details.
Cllr Simon Curry, Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration.