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Consideration was given to the recommendations
of the Housing and Planning Scrutiny Select Committee of 12
February 2025 in respect of estimated costs for local plan
production up to Local Plan adoption (end of 2027/28).
 
Cabinet had due regard to the views of the
Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money
considerations and supported progressing the green belt extension
feasibility study at West Malling, the Green Gap study and an
extended green belt extension feasibility study for an additional
piece of land up to the railway line and Wateringbury Road, East
Malling. 
 
In addition, Cabinet supported not progressing
a Borough wide Design Code requiring a budget of £260,000
within the current Local Plan budgetary period given that Design
Code work was not programmed until post Local Plan submission and
adoption, there was uncertainty as to what a design code would be
required to entail and the uncertainty around devolution and local
government reorganisation.
 
It was also noted that the identification of
parking standards for the Borough was not due to progress until
much later in the plan making process. 
However, it was recognised that this was an important area of work
and would be progressed alongside any future design-code work once
the Local Plan was further developed. 
As a result, it was noted that further financial provision,
including that related to a future Borough-wide Design Code/Parking
Standards, would need to be considered alongside other competing
budget demands for the authority as part of the future budget
setting process for the Borough Council and Medium-Term Financial
Strategy.
 
Particular reference was made to the Borough
Council’s successful bid to Government for funding to support
green belt studies which had resulted in a £70,000 grant
allocation. Further government funding to support Local Plan work
would continue to be bid for.
 
Cllr Boughton proposed, seconded by Cllr
Coffin and
Cabinet
 
RESOLVED: 
That
 

(1)            
the additional pressure on the Borough
Council’s overall budget as a result of the requirements to
deliver a new Local Plan, in accordance with the revised National
Planning Policy Framework, and a consequential shortfall in the
Planning reserve from 2026/27, be noted:
 

(2)            
the following evidence base studies be
progressed:
 
a.              
Green Belt extension at West Malling
(£30K)
b.              
Green Gap study (£15K)
 

(3)            
the budget requirement of £260,000 to progress
a Borough-wide Design Code not be progressed within the current
Local Plan budgetary period; and
 

(4)            
the additional budget requirements of the Local Plan
as set out in Table 3, and in addition the budget requirements for
a Green Gap Study (£15k) and a Green Belt Extension Study
(£30k), as well as an additional budget to progress an
additional piece of land in the Green Belt Extension Study up to
the railway line and Wateringbury Road, East Malling at an
additional estimated cost of approximately £50-£70k, be
approved; and