News Council adopts Supplementary Planning Documents
Following a meeting on Wednesday, 11 February Maidstone Borough Council’s Cabinet has approved the adoption of the Lidsing Garden Community and the Heathlands Garden Settlement Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs).
The SPDs provide additional guidance to support the delivery of the Lidsing and Heathlands Garden Communities allocations within the Maidstone Local Plan Review, which was adopted in 2024.
The SPDs do not allocate land for development or grant planning permission but set out detailed guidance and advice to inform the preparation and assessment of future planning applications for the sites.
The documents cover a range of matters intended to support high‑quality development, including principles for placemaking and design, movement and access, green and blue infrastructure, environmental considerations, and the delivery of supporting infrastructure.
The documents are intended to help ensure that proposals for the sites come forward in a comprehensive and coordinated way, in line with adopted planning policy.
The preparation of the SPDs has been informed by extensive public consultation and close collaboration with borough councillors, parish councils, council officers, local stakeholders, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Ashford Borough Council, and statutory bodies including National Highways, Natural England and Historic England. Councillors and parish representatives played an active role throughout the process, encouraging community participation, supporting public meetings and ensuring that local views were clearly articulated and formally submitted.
Feedback from residents, organisations, public bodies, neighbouring local authorities, government agencies and parish councils has been carefully considered at each stage. Officers and members have worked closely together to ensure that constructive comments and suggestions were reflected wherever possible, within the parameters of adopted planning policy.
As a result, the final documents include a significant number of refinements and improvements informed directly by consultation responses and further technical work, demonstrating a clear commitment to listening and responding to the communities affected.
The council recognises that there are concerns about the potential impacts of development in the area, including on the landscape, biodiversity, critical services and local road network and rural lanes. These matters have been considered as part of the SPDs, which provide guidance intended to inform future proposals and assessments. Detailed consideration of site‑specific impacts will take place when individual planning applications are submitted. With the SPDs now adopted, they will be used as a material planning consideration in the determination of planning applications.
Any applications will be assessed through the statutory planning process, including consultation with relevant stakeholders, and they will be determined in accordance with the Local Plan and other relevant planning policies.
Cabinet member for Planning Policy and Management, Councillor Tony Harwood, said: “These SPDs provide clear guidance to help ensure that any future development is well‑planned, with inevitable impacts for existing communities and the environment minimised. They will now play an important role in shaping how planning applications for these strategic development sites are progressed.”
The documents are in the process of being amended and will soon be available to view on the Maidstone Borough Council website.
Summary of points raised at cabinet meeting
Heathlands Garden Settlement SPD
- Two public speakers raised concerns infrastructure certainty, viability, deliverability and sustainability and archaeological impacts, particularly at Chapel Hill.
- Cabinet and officers responded that the SPD’s scope is limited by national regulations and have to be in line with the adopted Local Plan policy. Detailed matters (viability, archaeology, highways) will be assessed at planning application stage.
- Officers confirmed 58 consultation responses were received and over 50 amendments were made as a result, plus the further changes via an urgent update.
- Cabinet emphasised: The SPD strengthens the council’s position when determining future applications.
Lidsing Garden Community SPD
- Concerns raised by a visiting member focused on M2 Junction 4 improvements and construction impacts on nearby villages.
- Officers confirmed: 45 consultation responses were received and over 70 changes were made, plus the further changes via an urgent update.
- Members acknowledged: The constraints of the site and the tight timetable and significant improvements made through collaboration with local ward councillors.
- Cabinet emphasised: Strong collaboration between councillors, officers, parish councils and communities and the SPD strengthens the council’s position when determining future applications.