2.1 Introduction
The purpose of this chapter is to outline a
strategy that will provide a framework and context for the policies and
proposals set out in the local plan. It also addresses some strategic
locations and issues that are of a scale and significance to warrant consideration
as strategic policies and these are set out in the second half of this
chapter:
2.1.1 The strategy is developed from consideration
of four main factors, which are:
• Changes in policy at the national level.
• Regional and sub-regional planning
policy.
• The adopted Kent Structure Plan 1996.
• An analysis of local problems, issues and opportunities which
need to be addressed over the period of the Plan.
2.2 Policy Context
National Policy Changes
2.2.1 Since the Medway Towns Local Plan was adopted
in 1992, there have been significant changes of emphasis in policy at
the national level, reflecting in part international and global concerns.
They include:
• Sustainability, in terms of patterns
of development, reductions in use of energy, waste disposal and transport.
• Quality of life and improved environmental
standards.
• Conservation of natural and built environmental
assets.
• Regeneration of inner urban areas and
town centres.
• Equality of opportunity for employment,
travel, use of resources and access to facilities.
Regional Planning Policy
2.2.2 Medway is at the heart of the major regional
economic regeneration priority area of Thames Gateway which was established
in Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) in 1994. This
proposes to initiate a change in the previous strategy of promoting economic
growth to the west of London. The RPG recognises that Thames Gateway has
the potential to accommodate significant levels of new housing and employment
development over the longer term, alongside improvements in environmental
quality. It states that the area will benefit particularly from planned
transport infrastructure (such as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link) and that
its locational advantages between London and the Channel Tunnel, create
the potential to attract higher levels of investment. RGP9 is currently
in the process of being revised.
2.2.3 RPG9a “The Thames Gateway Planning
Framework” was published in 1995 as a supplement to the Regional
Guidance. RPG9a identifies the main development opportunities as being
at Chatham Maritime, Rochester waterfront, Gillingham Business Park, Medway
City Estate (Frindsbury peninsula) and the Hoo peninsula. It emphasises
that once the Medway Towns Northern Relief Road is completed (and with
the possible exception of a peripheral road linking the southern suburbs)
the emphasis in transportation terms should switch from road building
to improving public transport. Other strands of the guidance are the need
to protect Medway’s fine historic heritage, improving urban design
quality and protecting locally valuable countryside, especially to the
north and east of Gillingham. The local plan must carry this framework
through to a detailed local level, and enable Medway to fulfil its potential
in the economic and development ambitions for the Thames Gateway as a
whole.
2.2.4 RPG3b/9b “Strategic Planning Guidance
for the River Thames” also provides useful guidance. Until the Government
approves a new tidal defences planning strategy for the Thames, development
schemes along this stretch of the river should allow sufficient space
on the riverside margin for the possible strengthening of flood defences.
The RPG goes on to advise that all Local Planning Authorities in Thames
Gateway should prepare policies to secure high quality design on the riverside;
prepare design guidance; consider the need for, and implications of, accommodating
growth in port and river traffic; identify and protect sites for such
purposes; and protect areas of nature conservation importance, including
the internationally important marshes of the lower Thames.
Kent Structure Plan 1996
2.2.5 The Third Review of the Kent Structure
Plan was adopted in December 1996. It seeks to apply national and regional
planning policy to the particular circumstances of Kent, through a specific
Thames Gateway Policy (S5) and a policy for Medway (NK2). There are a
large number of other policies within the plan that have relevance, and
it should be noted that the structure plan and the Medway Local Plan jointly
provide the statutory Development Plan for Medway. The two plans should
be read in conjunction with one another. A new structure plan is currently
being progressed jointly by Kent County Council and Medway Council.
Medway Council’s Strategic Plan
2.2.6 Medway Council has prepared a Corporate
Plan to 2004, following extensive public consultation. This is based on
the council’s six core values that guide the way that it will act
and the policies that it will develop. These core values, and the objectives
that flow from them, are:
• Giving value for money.
• Promoting economic, physical and social
regeneration.
• Fostering citizenship.
• Improving the environment.
• Working for equal opportunity and access.
• Realising everyone’s potential.
2.2.7 Those core values relating to the promotion
of economic, physical and social regeneration and also improving the environment
are particularly pertinent to land use planning and this local plan. Particular
objectives in pursuit of these values include:
• Developing Chatham into the thriving
day and evening city centre of Medway, whilst promoting the continuing
role of other Medway town centres.
• Developing partnerships to build a
range of thriving residential and business communities through the regeneration
of key strategic sites (such as Chatham Maritime, Rochester Riverside,
Kingsnorth, Grain and Strood Waterfront).
• Ensuring, in partnership with other
providers, that a broad range of new homes are built to meet local needs
and support the competitiveness of the local economy.
• Reducing congestion and pollution by
decreasing the need to use private transport and increasing the use
of public transport.
• Securing greater use of the River Medway
for transport, leisure and tourism.
• Developing an integrated approach to
the conversion, development and use of land to secure improvements to
the built and natural environment.
2.2.8 Bearing in mind these core values and objectives,
a number of key issues need to be addressed over the next few years through
the local plan. These include:
• Tangible improvements to areas which
suffer from moderate to severe deprivation e.g. poor housing, high unemployment
and lack of facilities.
• Reducing traffic congestion within
the urban area and improving public transport systems which need to
be improved.
• The traditional town centres have suffered
from greatly increased competition and are not the focus for community
life that they should be. Medway also lacks a clearly defined “city”
centre in which major facilities can be focused. Past trends need to
be reversed.
• There is a need for further economic
diversification to provide employment, and enable the local economy
to more effectively manage the natural peaks and troughs of the economic
cycle and to replace jobs lost through structural change.
• There is also a continuing need to
protect and, where possible, improve the area’s natural assets,
for example, areas of nature conservation value, semi-natural areas
and urban open spaces.
• The environment in much of the urban
area needs to be enhanced through improved design and, in some cases,
sensitive renewal or comprehensive rehabilitation.
• Deficiencies in local facilities, e.g.
health, education, arts and entertainment, sport and recreation, access
to the countryside etc. need to be tackled.
• Ways need to be found to protect attractive countryside for
its own sake and maintain a viable rural economy.
2.3 Strategy
Strategic Objectives
2.3.1. Taking these national, regional, structure
plan and local issues into account, a number of strategic objectives are
defined to guide the strategy for Medway. These are:
(i) New development should follow sustainable
development principles through its relationship to transport infrastructure,
the location and mix of uses and the use of natural resources.
(ii) The emphasis should be on creating an
urban renaissance, through the redevelopment of brownfield sites within
the urban area in preference to continued outward suburban expansion.
The development of greenfield sites should be restricted to those well
related to the structure of the urban area and avoiding visual intrusion
into the surrounding countryside, particularly the valuable urban fringe.
(iii) The environmental quality and image of
the area should be upgraded through the highest urban design and landscape
standards being pursued in new development and regeneration.
(iv) The economic base of the area should be
enhanced by the promotion of selective new commercial developments of
high environmental quality.
(v) The widening of transport choices and accessibility,
and a reduction in the reliance on the private car by improvements to
facilities for cycling, walking and public transport.
(vi) Chatham should be developed as Medway’s
‘city’ centre, creating a major sub-regional centre able
to compete effectively with its neighbours, offering a range of facilities
for the whole community.
(vii) Investing in the River Medway as an opportunity
for transport, leisure, nature and tourism.
(viii) Firm protection for the Green Belt,
the best and most versatile agricultural land, sites of international,
national and other strategic importance for nature conservation and
landscape.
(ix) Identifying the built heritage of Medway
as an important historical and cultural resource, especially the defence
heritage including Chatham Historic Dockyard, the Napoleonic defences
and related buildings and areas.
(x) Deficiencies in the provision of local community, recreation, health
and education facilities should be remedied.
2.4 Policies and Reasoned Justification
Development Strategy
2.4.1 These objectives lead to the following
strategic development principles that collectively constitute the strategy
for guiding development and change in Medway over the plan period:
(i) the main focus of new development will
be within the urban area, particularly through regeneration of the Medway
riverside;
(ii) derelict, damaged and previously developed
land will be the first choice for new development, in preference to
the release of fresh land;
(iii) new development can provide for urban
renewal and housing regeneration in the inner urban parts of Strood,
Chatham and Gillingham, but the green hillsides and backdrops of the
urban area are vital ingredients in defining the form and character
of Medway and must be protected;
(iv) the permanent protection of the open heartland
of urban Medway at Capstone and Darland, and north and east of Gillingham
means that the basic structure of the urban area is now settled, and
there are few opportunities for outward expansion through new development;
(v) The main economic development opportunities
are at Chatham Maritime, Rochester Riverside, Gillingham Business Park,
Medway City Estate and Rochester Airport. Grain and Kingsnorth have
special significance as large-scale sites suitable for land intensive
uses;
(vi) the function and vitality of the town
centres, and especially Chatham as Medway’s ‘city’
centre, as a focus for community life, must be fostered;
(vii) the increasing economic importance of
Thamesport and Chatham Docks is recognised, which needs to be reinforced
by appropriate transport improvements;
(viii) the role of the historic built environment
is recognised and will be protected. The major defence heritage systems
will be sensitively developed, managed and interpreted as environmental
flagship projects for the Thames Gateway, consistent with their potential
World Heritage Site status.
2.4.2 Beyond the Plan’s end-date of 2006,
the Chattenden area will be critical to meeting development requirements.
The precise form of development will be considered in the First Review
of the Plan
2.4.3 The first two strategic policies encompass the principles set out
above. In turn, they are then reflected in the detailed policies in the
Plan.
POLICY S1: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
The development strategy for the plan area is to prioritise
re- investment in the urban fabric. This will include the redevelopment
and recycling of under-used and derelict land within the urban area,
with a focus on the Medway riverside areas and Chatham, Gillingham,
Strood, Rochester and Rainham town centres. Land use and transport will
be closely integrated, and priority will be given to a range of new
and improved transport facilities, including facilities for walking,
cycling and public transport.Strategic economic development provision
will be made both within the urban area and at Kingsnorth and Grain.In
recognition of their particular quality and character, long-term protection
will be afforded to:
(i) areas of international, national or other strategic
importance for nature conservation and landscape; and(ii) the historic
built environment, including the Historic Dockyard, associated sites
and fortifications.
Outward peripheral expansion onto fresh land, particularly
to the north and east of Gillingham, will be severely restricted. The
open heartland of Medway at Capstone and Darland will be given long-term
protection from significant development.
POLICY S2: STRATEGIC PRINCIPLES
The implementation of the development strategy set out
in policy S1 will focus on:
(i) maintaining and improving environmental quality
and design standards;
(ii) a sustainable approach to the location and mix
of new development, to provide local communities with a range of local
facilities, (including transport measures to serve development and sensitivity
in the use of energy and natural resources);
(iii) the adoption of a sequential approach to the location
of major people and traffic attracting forms of development, including
retailing, leisure, educational and health facilities.
River Medway
2.4.4 The River Medway gives both the area and
the council its name. Its existence was the reason why the area was first
settled. Over several centuries the river has been the focus of community
and economic life, although increasing industrialisation in Victorian
times led to public access to much of the urban riverside being either
removed or restricted. Much of the historic development of the towns occurred
along the river and, today, much of the remaining historic fabric such
as the World Naval Base is related to the use of the river. The Medway
is now both a working river and a major leisure and recreation facility.
There remain significant numbers of wharves, and the deep-water berths
at Thamesport, on the Isle of Grain, have led to the rapid development
of one of Britain’s biggest container ports. There are also significant
numbers of marinas and private berths on the river, particularly south
of Rochester Bridge.
2.4.5 Further downstream towards the Thames Estuary,
the river has a major role in nature conservation, as undeveloped coast
and wetland of international importance offering a habitat to birdlife.
This is reflected in the designation of most of the lower river as a Special
Protection Area under the European Directive on the Conservation of Wild
Birds and as a Ramsar site under the Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance. Significant parts of both banks are also designated as part
of the North Kent Marshes Special Landscape Area. Development along the
banks of the upper parts of the river may have an impact upon sediment
processes and other aspects of the tidal flow of the lower river and intertidal
habitats. This may, in turn, have impacts upon the Ramsar and SPA sites.
Consequently, development on the riparian edge needs to be carefully considered.
The importance of coastal archaeology should also be borne in mind. There
is a need for further survey work to access coastal archaeology. In addition
to planning permission, various other consents may also be required before
development on, over or adjacent to the River Medway may proceed. The
Environment Agency will, under their own powers, seek to ensure that there
is no net environmental loss resulting from any scheme which requires
any Agency authorisations/consents.
2.4.6 The Medway thus performs several important
functions in the local economy and ecology of the area, as well as making
a very considerable contribution to the cultural and social life of the
Towns.
2.4.7 The council recognises the variety and
significance of the roles that the Medway performs, and proposes to develop
an Action Plan to guide future development proposals along its length.
The Action Plan will be prepared in conjunction with other statutory bodies
and partners. It will also reflect the work already being undertaken on
the Medway Estuary and Swale Management Plan, to which the council is
committed.
2.4.8 Within the urban area new water-based transport
services will be welcomed. Water-buses are a practicable possibility on
the Medway, with a number of piers available from which to run such a
service. Tourism related activities, utilising the river, will be supported
provided that there is no conflict with the nature conservation interest.
2.4.9 The council is already seeking to open up public access to the
riverbanks within the urban area, in the first instance by the construction
of a riverside walk and cycleway through the Rochester Riverside and Chatham
Maritime areas. Further portions of riverside walks and cycleways will
be sought in the urban area where they will not be in conflict with existing
uses and are compatible with the Plan’s other aims.
POLICY S3: RIVER MEDWAY
Proposals which are consistent with nature
conservation, landscape and hydrological policies and which have no
adverse impact upon coastal archaeology will be permitted that develop
the River Medway for:
(i) public access along the riverbank through
the construction of riverside walks and cycle-ways;
(ii) use as a transportation corridor,
both for freight and passengers;
(iii) appropriate commercial, tourism and
leisure development along the river’s edge of a high quality design;
(iv) recreational and tourism purposes.
The inter-tidal habitats of the Medway
are an important natural resource. Where any proposed development would
affect the inter-tidal habitats, an assessment of its impact will be
required. Where development is proposed that will result in any loss
of inter-tidal habitats, proposals must include compensatory inter-tidal
habitats sufficient to mitigate any loss.
Landscape and urban design framework
2.4.10 The council is preparing a landscape and
urban design framework as a key step in the process of improving the physical
environment and the quality of life for people in Medway. It will provide
a clear, practical and robust design framework for physical change that
will be particularly valuable to the private sector because it will give
certainty about the standards of design which will be expected when planning
applications are submitted.
2.4.11 Medway contains a wealth of historic buildings
of a high quality. Many of these are associated with the development of
the river. The Historic Dockyard contains the largest concentration of
Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Kent. It is the most complete Georgian
and Victorian former Royal Dockyard in Britain, and is of European and
indeed, world, significance. The Napoleonic defences associated with Fort
Amherst, the Lines and Upnor Castle also represent a unique local asset
which have considerable potential as tourist attractions.
2.4.12 Rochester city centre is also an area
with a high concentration of attractive, historic buildings, especially
the Cathedral, the Castle and the High Street. Numerous visitors come
from all over the world every year to see these attractions, particularly
at festival times. There are a number of other Conservation Areas, including
one at Star Hill/Sun Pier, which is the subject of a Townscape Heritage
Initiative. Sensitive refurbishment and re-use of the built fabric is
the aim here, and this is likely to include some new housing.
2.4.13 The council is keen to promote its built
heritage as tourist attractions (to help diversify the local economy)
but it is also concerned to ensure that this fabric is maintained, preserved
and shown to best effect. The council is already working closely with
the Historic Dockyard Trust to create a sensitive mixed-use development
and tourist attraction in the Dockyard (see policy S9 below).
2.4.14 The council will work closely with the
Historic Dockyard Trust, the Fort Amherst and Lines Trust and English
Heritage to prepare a strategy for a possible World Heritage Site designation
that would encompass the Historic Dockyard, Fort Amherst, Brompton and
the Lines. The designation lies with an international committee of the
United Nations, rather than with the council or the U.K. Government. In
planning policy terms, this designation will not add any additional protection
to the area, but it will require a higher standard of design to be demonstrated
in any development proposals which come forward within the designated
area or outside it, where they would affect its setting.
2.4.15 Many of the remaining historic structures
are very fine examples of their type, but, as with many other conurbations,
the area has undergone rapid change in recent decades, much of which has
simply followed standard design patterns and exhibits little local character.
There have been few modern buildings or developments of outstanding design.
This has created a physical environment that falls short of public aspirations.
It has also resulted in a loss of quality and distinct local identity.
Ways need to be found to encourage more distinguished design. This does
not mean simply emulating the past – good modern design has its
place and is to be encouraged.
2.4.16 The Government’s commitment to this
changing agenda for better design standards is evident with the appointment
of the Urban Task Force in 1998, which is charged inter alia, with improving
urban quality as part of an urban renaissance. The 1998 revision of “Kent
Design” illustrates this commitment at a strategic level.
2.4.17 The scale of development proposed in the
Development Plan, both during and beyond the lifetime of this plan, will
inevitably result in significant impact upon the landscape and built environment.
The framework will provide a creative means of achieving good quality
urban design and regeneration.
2.4.18 The guidance in the framework will ensure that development responds
appropriately to its context, defining it broadly in visual, social, functional
and environmental terms, but in a manner that responds to the specific
problems and opportunities of different sections of the community. The
forward looking framework will seek to improve the perception of “place”
and bridge the gap in the planning system between all-embracing local
plan policies and specific detailed guidelines for individual sites.
POLICY S4: LANDSCAPE AND URBAN DESIGN
A high quality of built environment will
be sought from new development, with landscape mitigation where appropriate.
Development should respond appropriately to its context, reflecting
a distinct local character.
Medway’s ‘City’ Centre
2.4.19 For a largely urban area with a population
of 250,000 people, by far the largest urban area in Kent and one of the
largest in the south east of England, Medway has a relatively poor retail
hierarchy. Part of the reason for this is the five town centres within
the urban area: Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester, Rainham and Strood. Chatham
is the largest of these, with a significant number of national multiples
in the core comparison retail sector. As a sub-regional centre it has
a large range of comparison retailers and over 120,770 sq. m (1.3 million
sq. ft) gross of retail/service trade floor space. But it ranks only fourth
in the retail hierarchy in Kent - after Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells and
Canterbury. It has lost ground over the last twenty years, particularly
to Maidstone.
2.4.20 In recent years it has also faced local
competition from the out-of-town Hempstead Valley shopping centre (which
has a large Marks and Spencer store) on the southern periphery of the
urban area, close to Junction 4 on the M2. It also competes with the regional
shopping mall at Lakeside, near Thurrock in Essex and a second regional
shopping mall – Bluewater – just outside Dartford.
2.4.21 But a town centre is more than just a
retailing centre. In Medway, Chatham functions as one of the main destinations
for a range of uses. It also provides facilities for the evening economy.
These include the Central Theatre, the Medway Arts Centre, a cinema and
a ten-pin bowling alley. Despite this, there are relatively few pubs and
restaurants in the central area, by comparison with what should be expected
of a centre serving a population of this size. As a result there is little
reason for people to stay in central Chatham after the shops have closed,
and the synergy that exists between retailers and food and drink outlets
in other centres simply does not exist strongly enough here.
2.4.22 The central library is poorly located
in relation to the centre and is housed in inferior quality buildings
that the council is committed to replacing as a high priority. There are
no major health or educational facilities within the town centre, and
office-based employment plays a relatively minor role in the overall employment
composition of the centre. Consequently, there is relatively little lunch
time trade to underpin the retailing function.
2.4.23 Overall, it would be fair to characterise
Chatham as performing below its potential. Nonetheless, there is also
significant potential which needs to be unlocked.
2.4.24 Medway needs a focus with which the whole
community can identify: a traditional town or city centre with a substantial
“offer” that appeals to all sectors of the population and
offers a recognisable local identity.
2.4.25 The council recognises this most strongly
and has resolved to achieve this by promoting the concept of a strong
‘city’ centre for Medway. It aims to achieve this by actively
developing the centre of Chatham as a multi-use focus for the whole community.
Medway’s ‘city’ centre in Chatham, will become the main
focus for the local community, not only in retailing terms, but also in
terms of jobs, leisure, culture and entertainment. The Council has now
published the “Chatham City Vision”, a comprehensive view
of Chatham’s future, which will form a framework for new development
in the ‘city’ centre.
2.4.26 Chatham’s centre is a natural choice
for the focus because of its sub-regional shopping centre role, which
is recognised within the structure plan, and its capacity to accommodate
change. There are significant strengths that can be called upon, and valued
facilities are already in place to act as building blocks for the future.
2.4.27 Chatham “city” centre, however,
faces threats to this ambition. With potentially serious competition from
Bluewater there is a need to put in place, new central shopping floor
space of a high quality, complemented by a wide ranging package of measures
to reinforce the “city” centre’s attractiveness. The
council considers it is also essential that the centre regains its share
of lost trade generated from within its own boundaries. The people of
Medway need better shopping facilities than they currently enjoy. In pursuit
of those facilities they are shopping elsewhere.
2.4.28 Providing improved facilities of a high
quality in Chatham will enable the centre to better compete for trade
currently leaking to other centres outside the area. Accordingly the council
will support proposals that provide qualitatively and quantitatively improved
retailing provision. A site – in Richard Street – has been
identified to accommodate convenience and comparison shopping. The council
will work in partnership with the private sector to achieve its new vision
for Chatham. It will use its statutory powers and negotiate with third
party interests to support appropriate schemes.
2.4.29 The centre has already been improved with
a major environmental enhancement scheme for the pedestrianised area centred
upon the High Street, the refurbishment of The Brook multi-storey car
park and the provision of closed circuit television security cameras in
other car parks. Innovative approaches to the traffic circulatory system
in and around the town centre may result in opportunities to redefine
public spaces and development opportunities, in conjunction with measures
to promote improved access by public transport, foot and cycle. Pedestrian
access to and from Chatham railway station and its associated bus interchange
also deserves to be enhanced to raise the profile of the station. A further
area suitable for environmental enhancement is the riverside adjacent
to the library.
2.4.30 The proposed redevelopment of the library
should release land for open space and for a mixed-use development that
could include residential, retail, commercial and leisure uses. This would
enhance the riverside area and integrate it more closely with the town
centre. It is anticipated that the redevelopment of Chatham’s riverside
will provide a new focus for evening entertainment, well related to existing
Class A3 uses in the western end of Chatham High Street. The council will
actively promote a mixed-use approach in order to encourage diversity
in the new “city” centre. The existing buildings of quality
in the area should be retained and act as reference for its regeneration.
Good examples include 103-119 High Street, which have seen recent investment.
2.4.31 The council will continue to encourage
the provision of residential accommodation in the town centre through
“living over the shop” and other initiatives. The change of
use of properties to provide residential accommodation, particularly the
upper floors of commercial premises, will be facilitated by a flexible
approach towards car parking provision. The plan also allocates sites
for residential use around the edge of the town centre.
2.4.32 When opportunities for office-style development at Chatham Maritime
and Gillingham Business Park are exhausted (which is likely to be towards
the end of this Plan period), the council will seek to encourage office
proposals to the edge of Chatham town centre. This will be in line with
current government guidance on the location of this form of development
(contained in PPGs 6 and 13) and is in line with the proposed regional
parking standards currently associated with the review of the regional
planning guidance for the south-east (RPG9). The first review of this
plan will be the appropriate time to consider the definition of edge of
centre office sites, but the council will consider seriously any proposals
for major edge-of-centre office developments that are put to it in the
interim.
POLICY S5: MEDWAY’S “CITY” CENTRE
Chatham town centre will be developed as
the major, multi-use ‘city’ centre for Medway. Sites to
cater for new retail development are allocated within the town centre,
and any major comparison retail proposals should be located here. Qualitative
improvements to convenience goods provision, which are well related
to the core area, will be permitted.
A range of other uses appropriate to a
town centre location will also be permitted, provided that they contribute
to the centre’s vitality and viability and are consistent with
the requirements of the retail policies of this plan.
The council will permit initiatives to
enhance the attraction of the town centre. These may include environmental
improvements, improved access for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians
and access to the riverside.
Land at the riverside, as defined on the
proposals map, will be released for riverside open space and for mixed-use
development. This could include Class C3 residential uses; Class A1
and A3 shop, restaurant and pub uses; Class B1 business; and Class D1
and D2 leisure uses.
Planning Obligations
2.4.33 In taking the development strategy forward,
it is essential that new development does not place unacceptable burdens
on existing facilities or the local environment. In reaching individual
decisions to allocate land or determine planning applications, the council
has to take account of all material considerations including the wider
costs of, and impact caused by, the proposed development and the provision
of infrastructure necessary to support it. The Government has made it
clear that the community at large should not suffer as a result of development
proposals, and that it is reasonable to expect developers to contribute
towards the cost of providing community infrastructure where the need
for those facilities arises from their development. Used properly, planning
obligations (legal agreements between the council and/or others and the
developer to provide community infrastructure) are the means of delivering
facilities that remedy genuine planning problems and enhance the quality
of development. Planning obligations cannot, however, be used solely to
address existing deficiencies in provision. It may be acceptable to seek
an obligation where it would overcome an existing deficiency if the development
proposed would materially exacerbate the deficiency.
2.4.34 Circular 1/97 “Planning Obligations”
is the last up-to-date statement of government policy on the issue, and
it contains limits on the powers that Local Planning Authorities have
in seeking such obligations. The circular contains five tests that planning
obligations must meet, these are that they should:
(i) be necessary;
(ii) be relevant to planning;
(iii) be directly related to the development;
(iv) be fairly and reasonably related in scale and kind to the proposed
development; and
(v) be reasonable in all other respects.
2.4.35 The council has set out in this plan what
it will seek in terms of contributions to the provision of physical infrastructure,
community facilities and/or environmental mitigation or compensation on
a site specific basis. It would be contrary to the guidance in Circular
1/97 to be prescriptive about what will be sought, as each proposal must
be judged on its individual merits and in relation to the five tests above.
Nonetheless, the council has set out in its aspirations, to provide certainty
to landowners and developers. Where development proposals come forward
on sites not specifically identified within the plan, the council will
seek planning obligations to meet the infrastructure needs or environmental
mitigation/compensation needs arising from the development, under the
terms of the policy set out below. It will aim to identify at an early
stage the requirements of such “windfall” sites, and early
consultation with the planning department is advised when considering
development proposals, to clarify what those requirements will be.
2.4.36 Contributions, relevant to the circumstances,
may be sought for physical facilities (land and buildings, such as open
space, school places, affordable housing, highways, etc.), financial contributions
to such facilities (where on-site provision cannot reasonably be made)
or environmental mitigation or compensation (where mitigation is impossible
or inadequate on its own) to replace lost ecological features (such as
habitats).
2.4.37 The Kent Association of Local Authorities has produced a Good
Practice Guide on the topic of development contributions. This is regularly
updated (it was last revised in July 2001) and it provides much helpful
advice and examples of good practice from across the country. Developers
and landowners may find it a useful aid when formulating their proposals
and it will be used as a guide by the council in considering planning
applications.
POLICY S6: PLANNING OBLIGATIONS
The council will set conditions on planning
permissions or seek to enter into a legal agreement with developers
to provide for new physical infrastructure, social, recreational and
community facilities (including education facilities) and environmental
mitigation or compensation measures where mitigation is impossible or
inadequate on its own, where the need for these arises directly from
the development concerned.
Provision will be sought in proportion
to the size and nature of the individual development, and will take
account of the existing pattern of provision and capacity in the locality.
Provision will be made on the site where
this can be reasonably achieved. When this is not the case, contributions
will be sought for the provision of facilities and ecological features
elsewhere, provided their location can adequately serve the development
site or are appropriately related to it.
2.5 Strategic Developments
2.5.1 Certain key development opportunities will
be critical to the implementation of the strategy. This is due to their
scale and location and ability to influence attitudes towards regeneration
generally. Accordingly, the sections below describe these key opportunities
and set out over-arching policies for each site. With the exceptions of
Rochester Airfield, Rochester Riverside and Strood Waterfront the detailed
policy requirements are then set out in the relevant topic chapters.
Rochester Riverside
2.5.2 The area of Medway riverside lying between
Rochester Bridge and Doust Way, largely north of the railway line comprises
a wide range of uses, many of which historically relied on access to the
river for their existence. For a few, this is still the case, but for
the most part the wharves of Rochester as a port have been in decline
for many years.
2.5.3 The character of the area is largely industrial.
Apart from a group of modern small industrial units, the sites are large,
with many having been devoted to freight operations. Rochester’s
original town gas works was located here, and gas holders still dominate
the area close to Rochester Bridge. The nearby former railway goods depot,
with its sidings, is now derelict. Although this area is invisible to
those travelling along the A2 everyday, to those travelling by train it
presents a very poor image of the heart of the urban area.
2.5.4 Strategic policy changes and the guidance
in the Thames Gateway Planning Framework which were published in the early/mid
1990s indicated that there needed to be a switch away from continual suburban
expansion towards the re-use of brownfield sites within urban areas. The
riverside was one obvious area that would benefit from such an approach.
2.5.5 In 1993, following a consultant’s
report, Rochester City Council established policy objectives for the riverside
area. Comprehensive redevelopment for a variety of uses including employment,
residential, open space, and a riverside walk, was felt to be the best
way forward. The City Council decided to seek the relocation of existing
businesses from this central area and to investigate contamination issues.
2.5.6 The City Council made progress in acquiring
land by negotiation to enable redevelopment to occur before the Medway
Council came into existence. However, it became clear that the council
needed to adopt an even more positive role in land assembly through use
of its Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) powers. A CPO was successfully
gained by Medway Council over a further 32 hectares in 1998, placing the
bulk of the central area in the council’s ownership. Outside the
CPO area, it is anticipated that market forces will determine if, when
and how buildings and sites are redeveloped.
2.5.7 The aim is to enable regeneration which
will:
• Achieve a new vision and sense of place.
• Bring land and buildings into effective
use.
• Provide community benefits.
• Build confidence and increase economic
investment.
• Improve commercial prospects for businesses
by relocating them to more convenient sites.
• Achieve the decontamination of land
and provision of sites for redevelopment within an overall framework.
• Encourage public access to the riverside.
2.5.8 The plan designates the CPO area at Rochester
Riverside as an Action Area for redevelopment. Action Areas are defined
in PPG 12 “Development Plans” as “an area selected for…
comprehensive treatment by development, redevelopment or improvement”.
An Action Area lasts for a fixed period of ten years, and the period for
this area will be ten years from the date of deposit (1999). This will
bring about a major change in the nature of the land uses in this area,
leading to a renaissance of the urban framework and a more appropriate
townscape to carry this important area through into the 21st Century
2.5.9 The council also recognises that there
are a number of existing employment uses in the area, and the role that
they play in providing jobs and investment. The council will work to assist
the relocation of these uses, on a site by site basis, to more suitable
sites within Medway. The council has identified sites across its area
for employment development, and monitoring suggests that there is also
a substantial stock of vacant industrial floor space that might prove
suitable for relocation.
2.5.10 The council does not wish to be unduly
prescriptive about precisely where on the site new land uses should be
located and this will be an issue to be determined in conjunction with
the council’s development partners. However, it accepts that the
local plan should provide certainty for the community landowners elsewhere,
potential investors and service providers. An Area Development Framework
was prepared for the Action Area in 1997 to support the C.P.O., which
showed a number of possible development scenarios. A mixed use approach
has been supported and the council will work with its chosen development
partners to produce a development brief which will expand upon policy
S7. The brief will be subject to public consultation.
2.5.11 It is proposed that the area will contribute approximately 1500-1800
dwellings to meeting Medway‘s housing requirements, many of which
will be ‘affordable’. It is likely that only 300 dwellings
will have been achieved by 2006 (the end-date of this plan), with the
remainder coming forward later. The housing proposals together with other
specific uses such as open space, new leisure facilities, a hotel, commercial
development (including workshops and small-scale retail development to
serve local people’s day to day needs) and a new primary school
are also covered by specific policies in this plan.
2.5.12 The Action Area includes areas of inter-tidal habitat where no
river wall exists at the moment. Subject to an assessment of the impact
upon sediment movements, flood alleviation and nature conservation, the
council will be prepared to consider de minimus encroachment over part
of the mudflats, if this is essential and justified, in order to enable
development to safely and successfully proceed. Mitigation or compensation
for any loss of mudflats, in line with the provision of policies S3 and
BNE37, will be sought.
POLICY S7: ROCHESTER RIVERSIDE ACTION AREA
The area of the Medway riverside
north of Corporation Street, Rochester between Rochester Bridge and
Doust Way, as defined on the proposals map, is designated as an Action
Area.
The comprehensive regeneration
of this area, over the next ten years, will be sought in accordance
with a development brief approved by the council. Features which the
Action Area is expected to provide include:
• The development of
approximately 1500-1800 dwellings including affordable housing, of
which 300 to be completed by 2006.
• The provision of
areas of open space and a riverside walk.
• A new river wall
and reclamation in locations between the Shiplink site and Doust Way.
• The reservation of
a site for a new primary school and the construction of other community
facilities.
• The creation of new
leisure facilities and a hotel,
• Appropriate small-scale
employment uses in use Classes B1 and B2.
All new development will be
expected to comply with the following principles:
(i) comprehensive mixed-use
redevelopment to maximise the potential for securing the regeneration
of the whole action area and its vicinity;
(ii) a high standard of urban
design and landscape,
establishing it as a new quarter of the urban area;
(iii) high quality mixed
developments, appropriate to the location of this area close to both
the riverside and historic Rochester;
(iv) the provision of good
pedestrian and cycle links within the site and to historic Rochester
and to the public transport network, including Rochester Railway Station.
An ecological and hydrological
appraisal of the impact of any development proposals will be required,
particularly in relation to the construction of a new river wall on
the mudflats and inter-tidal areas.
Chatham Maritime
2.5.13 Chatham Maritime is the name given to
the major part of the former Royal Naval Base situated on the elbow of
the bend in the River Medway marking the transition from the main river
to its estuary. To the east is the area around Basin 3 that is now operated
as a commercial port under the name of Chatham Port. To the south, the
remaining area of the former base is now managed by the Chatham Historic
Dockyard Trust as a living, working museum. The planning strategy has
been firmly to regard the uses at Chatham Maritime and the Historic Dockyard
as complementary and this principle is reaffirmed in this plan. Chatham
Maritime was, for ten years from 1986, one of several Enterprise Zones
designated within Medway.
2.5.14 The development of Chatham Maritime is
rightly regarded as a flagship project for the Thames Gateway. After more
than ten years of effort many successes have been achieved and a wholly
new, high quality environment is being created.
2.5.15 A number of major new office developments
have occurred, including a purpose built headquarters building for the
Colonial Mutual Insurance Group and a telephone banking centre for Natwest.
The former Pembroke Barracks buildings have now been occupied by part
of the University of Greenwich and the Natural Resources Institute and
there is some scope for expansion of these facilities. The development
of the St Mary’s Island residential community is now well under
way, and ultimately is likely to house approximately 5,000 people.
2.5.16 The pace of development achieved to date
has been heavily influenced by:
• Delays in the construction of the Medway
Towns Northern Relief Road (including the Medway Tunnel) although this
is now complete.
• The need for extensive land clearance,
including the removal of large quantities of contaminated material from
St Mary’s Island and other infrastructure work.
• The deep economic recession which affected
the development industry between 1989 and 1995.
However, the stage has now been reached where
the pace of development can be expected to accelerate and key decisions
on the form that this will take will determine the overall shape, quality
and success of the project.
2.5.17 To assist in this process, the council
has re-evaluated the progress made to date and considered the overall
objectives that should now guide the development process. The site can
be considered in two parts. Outline planning permission has been given
for a scheme (or master plan) on St Mary’s Island for 1700 dwellings,
which incorporates:
• A neighbourhood centre intended to
provide modest retail and medical facilities, a primary school and a
range of community facilities.
• A central landscape feature and open
space linking individual residential areas and the neighbourhood centre.
• A riverside path suitable for use
by cyclists and pedestrians.
2.5.18 It is important that this master plan
is regularly reviewed to reflect the latest design ideas and to put detail
on the broad principles already agreed. In particular, the council are
concerned that bold, imaginative approaches are taken to the design and
layout of the housing areas. It is important to avoid an unduly suburban
character and to capitalise on the site’s natural assets, in particular
the river and the basins. RPG9a calls for a townscape of quality to be
provided and this objective is fully supported. At the same time it will
also be important to incorporate non-residential elements and uses into
the development to add variety and relief and encourage visitors onto
the Island. Proposals for a public house and/or restaurant, for example,
will be welcomed and small-scale leisure facilities may also be appropriate.
2.5.19 The remainder of the Chatham Maritime
site, that is all land to the south of St Mary’s Island, is proposed
as a Mixed Use Zone. The dominant form of development to date has been
commercial offices and while more will be provided, the opportunity now
exists to diversify further to create a more lively atmosphere and ensure
activity outside normal working hours. There are major proposals for a
factory retail outlet centre, hotel, marina, business, public house and
other leisure and class A3 uses on the site to the south of Basin 1. This
will involve the retention and refurbishment of three large listed structures
which were formally part of the Royal Naval base. These facilities will
attract considerable numbers of visitors to Medway, to the advantage of
the adjoining Historic Dockyard. A multi-modal access package will be
sought, with rapid public transport connections to Chatham and Gillingham
town centres for visitors to the factory outlet centre (A Master Plan
for Chatham Maritime will be adopted by the council as supplementary planning
guidance to guide future development.)
2.5.20 By defining this part of the site as a
Mixed Use Zone, the council are providing an opportunity to achieve this
diversification whilst avoiding an inflexible or unduly prescriptive approach.
However, in formulating proposals developers will be expected to have
regard to the following:
• The need to, as far as possible, integrate
the site into the adjoining Historic Dockyard. This will involve the
introduction of uses that are complementary to the Historic Dockyard
south of Basin 1; a co-ordinated approach to features such as cycle
and pedestrian links; traffic management and sharing of visitor car
parking.
• To further improve the vitality of
the area south of Basin 1 careful consideration should be given to some
small-scale residential development. This will add visual interest,
improve security and ensure activity outside working hours. Policy H1
allows for a total of approximately 250 dwellings split between here
and raised densities on St Mary’s Island.
• There is a clear need to make the site
as a whole more attractive to modes of transport other than the private
car. This will require early consideration of external links from the
site for cyclists and pedestrians. The council will also encourage proposals
to substitute at least a proportion of the notional car parking requirement
generated by major developments with public transport based alternatives;
for example, Park and Ride and/or a shuttle bus service to Chatham and
Gillingham town centres. The use of the River should also be considered
in this context.
• Every opportunity should be taken to
build on the special character introduced onto the site by Greenwich
University. Currently high quality teaching and support space has been
provided, along with purpose built halls of residence. However, many
different ancillary facilities, albeit on a small scale, would widen
the site’s appeal and add to the services currently available
to students and office workers. Expansion into some of the buildings
within the Historic Dockyard might be an option.
2.5.21 Any development will need to take into account the important wildlife
areas adjoining St Mary’s Island, which are designated as a Site
of Special Scientific Interest.
POLICY S8: CHATHAM MARITIME
In the Chatham
Maritime Mixed Use Zone and on St Mary’s Island, as defined on
the proposals map, a high quality and innovative development will be
sought which will set a standard for the Thames Gateway and create a
townscape of note.
The development will:
• Include a factory
outlet centre (retail), Class B1 offices, a hotel, land and water-based
leisure uses and housing. Tourist facilities and Class A3 uses of
a scale commensurate with their location will also be appropriate.
• Create a new transportation
framework for the sites, including improved public transport, cycling
and
pedestrian links to Chatham and Gillingham town centres with a key
objective of reducing the need to travel by the private car.
• Promote high quality
and innovative design approaches to create a high quality and vibrant
environment.
• Promote development
which is complementary to the Chatham Historic Dockyard in order to
maximise visitor appeal and integrate the site with the wider environment.
Chatham Historic Dockyard
2.5.22 The 37 hectares of Chatham Historic Dockyard
contain the largest concentration of Scheduled Ancient Monuments in Kent.
It is the most complete Georgian and Victorian former Royal Dockyard in
Britain, and is of European and indeed world significance.
2.5.23 This has long been accepted by the Government,
which established the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust in 1984 when the
Royal Navy Dockyard closed. The sustained support of English Heritage
has enabled a substantial programme of repairs and refurbishments to the
large number of historic buildings and artefacts since the Trust’s
formation.
2.5.24 The Historic Dockyard is physically central
to the regeneration of urban Medway. The basic strategy proposed by the
Trust, for a mixed use site, has been supported by the council and this
will continue to be the case. The Historic Dockyard is now the location
for a substantial number of jobs and small businesses, new homes created
both through new development and refurbishment of historic residential
property and it is a successful and thriving tourist destination in its
own right.
2.5.25 In a formal planning sense, the Historic
Dockyard is subject to a wide range of controls as a result of the large
number of Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Listed Buildings. New development
proposals require planning permission, and these applications are assessed
against the range of policies that the local plan contains.
2.5.26 However, a broader framework is required
to help underpin the shared ambitions of the Trust and the various agencies.
The Historic Dockyard is a Conservation Area, and given the size, scale
and significance of the site, a detailed management plan, or framework
to establish clearly the conservation and development principles for it,
is being prepared. This will be developed by the council in conjunction
with the Historic Dockyard Trust, in the first instance, to reflect the
Trust’s own objectives, together with the national interests represented
through English Heritage and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
This will also provide a further opportunity to ensure that the integration
of development proposals between the Historic Dockyard and Chatham Maritime
is achieved, and that complementary uses are provided to the benefit of
both major developments.
2.5.27 A development framework to guide development
will also be prepared, again jointly by the Council and Dockyard Trust.
The brief will aim to:
• Establish firm conservation principles
for the site as a whole and for the use and re-use of existing buildings
and artefacts.
• Establish detailed guidance for individual
development sites within the Historic Dockyard.
• Ensure the proper planning of the interface
between the Historic Dockyard and the Chatham Maritime area to the north.
• Provide for pedestrian, cycle, vehicular and public transport
access to be co-ordinated with proposals for Chatham Maritime and improve
linkages with Chatham town centre.
POLICY S9: CHATHAM HISTORIC DOCKYARD
At the Historic Dockyard, Chatham, as
defined on the proposals map, development that respects the historic
character of the site will be permitted. The standard of urban design
must be of the highest order.
Strood Waterfront
2.5.28 The area of Medway riverside bounded to
the west by the A228 and lying between Rochester Bridge and the M2 bridge,
south of Strood town centre is an area that is largely industrial in character.
2.5.29 The northern part, closest to the town
centre, is characterised by generally low quality industrial access roads,
limited access to the riverside, poor pedestrian facilities and a poor
quality built environment. The junction of Cuxton Road, Priory Road and
Darnley Road at Darnley Arch on the A228 represents a significant point
of vehicular and pedestrian conflict, and together with the Knight Road
and Priory Road junction, is often heavily congested at peak times. The
latter represents a poor quality access to the employment area of Temple
Industrial Estate, particularly given that the sizeable Tesco distribution
depot is one of several major local employers in this area. This northern
part suffers from a jaded and “downbeat” appearance that is
at odds with the very fine listed Temple Manor, which is surrounded by
industrial units.
2.5.30 The southern end, however, contains more
modern industrial units, and a major out-of-town leisure park. This affords
an altogether different, “crisper” and more “upbeat”
environment.
2.5.31 The area between the Medway Valley railway
line and the river comprises a timber yard, a number of small-scale industrial
units, the Temple Marsh area of public open space and derelict land. Vehicular
access into this area is limited due to the low height and narrow width
of the railway bridges and the often poor geometry of the approach roads.
2.5.32 Many of the industrial buildings in this
whole area are now nearing the end of their useful life, having become
outmoded in a fast changing business climate. Others are no longer considered
to be appropriate given their close proximity to the major district shopping
centre in Strood town centre. A number of local employers have already
indicated a willingness to relocate.
2.5.33 Strategic policy changes and the guidance
in the Thames Gateway Planning Framework which was published in the early/mid
1990s indicate that there needs to be a switch away from continual suburban
expansion towards the re-use of brownfield sites within urban areas. Strood
Waterfront is one obvious area that would benefit from such an approach.
2.5.34 The plan designates 73 hectares (180 acres)
of Strood Waterfront as an Action Area for redevelopment or improvement.
Action Areas are defined in PPG 12 “Development Plans” as
“an area selected for… comprehensive treatment by development,
redevelopment or improvement”. An Action Area lasts for a fixed
period of ten years, and the period for this Area will be ten years from
the date of deposit (1999). This will bring about a major change in the
nature of the land uses in this area, leading to a renaissance of the
urban framework and a more appropriate townscape to carry this area through
into the 21st Century.
2.5.35 The council do not wish to be unduly prescriptive
about precisely where the new land uses should be located. However, it
recognises that the local plan should provide certainty for land-owners
and investors. To this end, a development brief will be approved by the
council for the Action Area.
2.5.36 The council recognises that there are
a number of important existing employment uses in the area, and the important
role that they play in providing jobs and investment. Accordingly the
council will work closely with local businesses in implementing the Action
Area. It is anticipated that a substantial employment area will still
remain, probably in the south of the Action Area, focused around the modern
units that already exist.
2.5.37 For those businesses which choose to relocate,
the council will work to assist their relocation, on a site by site basis,
either on improved sites within the Action Area (such as to the east of
the Medway Valley Line) or elsewhere within Medway. The allocated employment
area at Kingsnorth may be an appropriate alternative location.
2.5.38 Resolving access and circulatory issues
around Commercial Road and Knight Road will be important for development
in part of the Action Area. In the southern part, a new railway station
on the Medway Valley line will be sought, either in connection with the
existing leisure park or a possible regional scale multi-purpose sports
arena/stadium. It is likely that the Action Area as a whole will be able
to contribute towards the housing provision both in this plan period (to
2006) and beyond. Many of these homes are likely to be “affordable”.
This residential community will be within easy walking distance of the
facilities of Strood town centre, which will help to support its vitality
and viability, and to the major public transport routes that run close
by it. These homes will also have ready access to the existing –
but underused – public open space area at Temple Marsh. The plan
assumes that approximately 100 dwellings will come forward from this area
by 2006, although more will ultimately be yielded beyond that date.
2.5.39 The council will attempt to use regeneration
to achieve a realignment of the A228 to avoid Darnley Arch and create
a satisfactory highway infrastructure to the south of Strood town centre.
There is potential for a new road linking Priory Road in the north with
Roman Way in the south, allowing industrial and residential traffic to
be separated. Any new railway station will need to meet both Network Rail
and Connex’s technical, operational and commercial requirement.
2.5.40 The Action Area includes a stretch of the River Medway where no
river wall exists at present. The council, consistent with policy BNE36,
will not contemplate any loss of inter-tidal habitat within the SNCI around
Temple Marsh. Subject to an assessment of the impact upon sediment movements,
flood alleviation and nature conservation, the council will be prepared
to consider de minimus encroachment over part of the inter-tidal area
in the north of the Action Area if this is essential and justified in
order to allow the provision of a continuous riverside walk and infrastructure
to enable development to safely and successfully proceed. Mitigation or
compensation for any loss of mudflats in line with the provisions of policies
S3 and BNE37, will be sought.
POLICY S10: STROOD WATERFRONT ACTION AREA
The area of the Medway riverside
south of Strood town centre, as defined on the proposals map, is designated
as an Action Area. The regeneration of this area will be sought, over
the next ten years, in accordance with a development brief approved
by the council. Features which the Action Area is expected to provide
include:
• The development of
approximately 100 dwellings by 2006, including affordable housing.
• The provision of
a riverside walk with a soft river edge where appropriate to the circumstances.
• A possible alternative
route for the A228, avoiding Darnley Arch.
• Improved vehicular
circulation south of Strood town centre.
• A new station on
the Medway Valley railway line.
• The creation of an
appropriate setting for the listed Temple Manor.
• The construction
of appropriate community facilities and improved access to the Temple
Marsh public open space.
• Appropriate employment
uses falling within use Classes B1, B2 and B8.
• Other uses appropriate
to the location.
Subject to the resolution of
multi-modal access, parking, design and landscaping considerations,
the area around Temple Marsh may be an appropriate location for a multi-purpose
sports arena/stadium of a regional scale.
All new development will be
expected to comply with the following principles:
(i) comprehensive redevelopment
to maximise the potential for securing the regeneration of the whole
Action Area and its vicinity;
(ii) a high standard of urban
design and landscaping, establishing it as a new quarter of the urban
area;
(iii) high quality mixed
developments, appropriate to the location of this area close to both
the riverside and opposite historic Rochester;
(iv) the provision of good
public transport, pedestrian and cycle links within the site and to
Strood town centre and to the wider public transport network, including
Strood railway station.
An ecological and hydrological
appraisal will be required of the impact of any development proposals,
particularly the construction of a new river wall, on the mudflats and
inter-tidal areas.
Rochester Airfield
2.5.41 Rochester Airfield is an extensive site
occupying a strategic location adjacent to the A229 Maidstone Road, close
to Junction 3 on the M2 motorway. Following the widening of the M2 it
will become a major gateway site, on one of the main entrances to the
urban area. It has a total site area of some 56.5 hectares, adjacent to
which there is a major high technology research & development (R &
D) and manufacturing facility operated by BAE Systems (previously Marconi
Avionics Ltd.) The airfield itself comprises two grass runways, with associated
hangar and support facilities, and it is currently operated by Rochester
Airport Plc. It caters for leisure and business flights by light aircraft.
Part of the airfield extends into the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling.
2.5.42 There is a need to diversify the local
economy if Medway is to progress towards a better choice of job opportunities,
which are better paid, and which offer the people of Medway improved scope
for career development. The Medway Economic Development strategy defines
a mission to bring about a step change in the performance of the local
economy to match that of successful regions elsewhere in the UK. To offer
Medway people better opportunities to achieve a better quality of life
and higher levels of prosperity, the strategy proposes the development
of the competitiveness of the local economy by making it a recognised
centre of excellence for high value manufacturing and knowledge intensive
services.
2.5.43 Medway Council aims to provide a favourable
environment for business activities and to develop partnerships to build
a range of business communities through the regeneration of strategic
sites, and generally to provide a favourable environment for skills development
and business activities. The potential for development of high technology
manufacturing could be best realised through the development of a science
and technology park and the development of one or more technology based
business incubators.
2.5.44 Rochester Airfield is one of Medway’s
key assets in this regard, given that it provides a first class location
near to the M2 motorway and away from congested areas of the urban area.
It is therefore identified as the location for the proposed science and
technology park, given that it would offer plenty of scope for future
expansion, enabling inward investors to be attracted, as well as having
potential for the development of premises for start up and smaller businesses.
2.5.45 There are considered to be good prospects
for successfully attracting a grouping of one or more major technology
based occupiers alongside BAE Systems through concerted inward investment
promotion, and for achieving a successful science and technology park
development. Once this is achieved, there would be considerable scope
for encouraging collaboration between these companies, the higher education
institutions, and business support providers, to provide larger numbers
of qualifications and jobs to local residents, to foster collaboration
with local suppliers, and to develop spin-out activities and other small
business opportunities, all centred around the development of an emerging
local innovation and knowledge based culture.
2.5.46 Medway Council will demonstrate its commitment
to the success of the science and technology park through careful marketing
and promotion over the length of the project, with a product led strategy
and positive, pro-active intervention. It will maintain a direct involvement
with the development to achieve these objectives.
2.5.47 In order to facilitate the development
of the science and technology park the Council will, after the expiration
of the current lease in January 2004, close one of the airport runways.
Rochester Airport, operating from a smaller site is intended to remain
open and operational, at least for the period of this Local Plan.
2.5.48 The development of the site will need
to be guided by a development brief that sets out a clear framework. The
brief will:
• Define the basis for a prestigious
business, science and technology development, and establish key design
and layout principles reflecting the site’s importance and location.
• Promote an innovative package of transport
measures for the site, including dedicated bus, cycling and pedestrian
facilities, plus improvements to the City Way/Horsted Way gyratory.
The primary objective will be to limit non-essential car traffic.
• Be preceded by further technical work
to asses the optimum site layout for the detailed location of employment
and aviation activities, along with access and safety considerations,
along the lines of Atkins Options C/C1, (ref: Assessment of Land Use
Options: Final Report by W.S. Atkins, February 2001, paras 3.12 and
26.6).
• Establish the detailed location for
the employment and aviation activities within the site.
• Put in place measures to integrate the development with the
surrounding area while, at the same time, exploiting its unique location
and scope for a development of the highest quality.2.5.49 Due to the
scale of the opportunity that exists at the airfield, the development
timetable will extend beyond the 2006 end date of the plan.
POLICY S11: ROCHESTER AIRFIELD
Rochester Airfield, as defined on the proposals
map, is allocated for a high quality business, science and technology
development comprising Class B1, B2 and B8 uses.
A development brief, approved by the council,
will guide development.
Kingsnorth
2.5.50 The designated industrial site at Kingsnorth
is 219 hectares and has a long planning history, deriving from the identification
of the site for a proposed oil refinery in the 1960’s, as well as
the development of the major coal-fired power station. The oil refinery
proposals did not proceed, but the legacy is the designation of a large
area for general industrial development purposes and, more particularly,
for a variety of industrial uses which cannot easily be accommodated within
the urban area. However, the site is also surrounded by areas of nature
conservation importance, including a Special Protection Area, and it is
an important objective that substantial new development at Kingsnorth
should be of a standard which respects this context.
2.5.51 A gas-fired power station is now under
construction. The area has also been identified in the Kent Waste Local
Plan 1998 as a suitable site for a waste to energy plant adjacent to the
existing power station. It is the council’s intention to review
the inherited waste local plan policy framework at an early date.
2.5.52 Kingsnorth, together with Grain, is one
of the few large strategic economic development sites in the Thames Gateway.
It represents the next generation of such sites, to continue the regeneration
development pattern, once Crossways at Dartford and Chatham Maritime are
complete. Preparatory work needs to be started now to ensure that Kingsnorth
is in a position to realise its full potential. Development interest is
already rising, following the completion of the Medway Towns Northern
Relief Road.
2.5.53 Whilst the site has considerable general
potential for new industrial development (through inward investment),
the council also sees Kingsnorth as the ideal site for the relocation
or expansion of existing, local companies from within the urban area that
need larger sites. Kingsnorth offers the advantage of larger plots and
cheaper land than is available within the urban area. The council will
also seek to relocate businesses to Kingsnorth from their inappropriate
existing sites in areas allocated for redevelopment to other uses in the
heart of the urban area, including Rochester Riverside and Strood Waterfront.
Here there is sufficient land for the expansion of such uses and they
can operate with little impact upon adjacent uses.
2.5.54 The site is capable of accommodating uses
in Classes B1, B2 and B8. However, in the light of the advice of PPG13,
only those uses falling within Class B1( c ) will be permitted unless
it can be demonstrated that the development makes provision for increased
accessibility by means other than the private car. Such provision may
take the form of contributions to public transport, the use of parking
regimes and company transport plans. In appropriate cases, the provision
will be sought by means of a planning obligation. Development in Class
B1 which makes inadequate provision for increased accessibility will be
restricted by the imposition of conditions or by planning obligation,
to Class B1 (c).
2.5.55 The A228, which provides the principal
vehicular access to the site, is inadequate to support the volume and
nature of the traffic that is likely to be generated by the scale of the
development proposed. The council has successfully sought commuted sums
from a variety of developments on the Hoo peninsula in order to carry
out the necessary works on the A228, which are now principally related
to off-line improvements to the west of Hoo St Werburgh. A financial contribution
of some £6.7 million has already been made towards the cost of off-site
highway improvements in respect of the consented Damhead Creek power station
site and 32.4 hectares net (62 hectares gross) of the proposed employment
land at the Kingsnorth Business Estate. In the light of this, further
contributions will only be sought if additional traffic generating development
is permitted. Government approval was given for the funding of the improvements
in December 2001 and a programme which has a construction start date of
Spring 2003 and a completion date of Autumn 2004 has now been initiated.
2.5.56 Kingsnorth has 66 hectares of land available
for development. This excludes the power stations and their operational
land, the existing industrial estate and land for environmental mitigation.
It has been assumed that only a small portion of the site, 10%, will come
forward for light industrial uses and the remainder will accommodate general
industry (50%) and warehousing (40%.) By converting these areas using
conversion ratios in the Structure Plan, the following floorspace is expected
to be developed.
A2-B1: 26,182sqm, B2: 95007sqm, B8: 93166sqm
2.5.57 A development brief will be prepared by
Medway Council which will need to address, inter alia, improvements to
access by road, contamination and remediation, safeguarding land for rail
sidings, a green transport plan to encourage public transport and discourage
travel by car, landscaping, contouring and land raising, design and layout,
phasing, ecological protection and mitigation and Section 106 obligations.
2.5.58 In addition, the council will seek a financial contribution towards
an environmentally sensitive upgrading of the freight line from Hoo Junction
to Grain, as this has the potential to serve the Kingsnorth site. The
council will encourage development here to make maximum use of river and
rail, rather than lorry, for freight movements.
POLICY S12: KINGSNORTH
At Kingsnorth, as defined on the proposals
map, Class B2 General Industrial Development and Class B8 Storage and
Distribution Uses will be permitted. Class B1 uses will be permitted
but will be restricted to Class B1 ( c ) except where the development
makes provision for increased accessibility by means other than the
private car. Provision will be made within the site for the relocation
of businesses from urban regeneration sites, including special industrial
uses and others not in a use class, subject to access and environmental
considerations. Medway Council will prepare a development brief in association
with the landowners. All development will be subject to the protection
of nature conservation interests.
Development which does not require access
to the railway or to the river, but which would prejudice use of, or
access to, the wharves or the rail sidings will not be permitted.
Contributions will be sought to the improvement
of off-site highways or the rail link to Kingsnorth where such improvements
are needed from a practical point of view to enable the development
to go ahead or are necessary from a planning point of view and are so
directly related to the proposed development and to the use of land
after its completion, that the development ought not to be permitted
without it.
Isle of Grain
2.5.59 The former BP oil refinery on the Isle
of Grain is a unique asset in Thames Gateway, being a very substantial
area of about 630 hectares, which includes the fastest growing container
port in the south east, at Thamesport. After Felixstowe and Southampton
it is the most important such port in the country. The original oil storage
tanks have been removed, and though there may be areas of contaminated
land to deal with, this is a huge area of land in a strategic location
that warrants active attention. The site lies adjacent to a Special Protection
Area of international importance for nature conservation. As such, development
at Thamesport and the Isle of Grain must not result in any detrimental
impact upon that area.
2.5.60 Grain has been regarded as a substantial
employment opportunity since the closure of the oil refinery in the late
1970s and it is a strategic site for inward investment. It is now the
largest strategic economic development site in the Thames Gateway, and
is of regional importance. The attention paid to its preparation for development
needs to reflect that role. It represents the next generation of such
sites, to continue the regenerative development pattern, once Crossways
at Dartford and Chatham Maritime are complete. Preparatory work needs
to be started now to ensure that Grain is in a position to realise its
full potential. The direct involvement of SEEDA and/or English Partnerships
would be appropriate to bring forward a site of such significance.
2.5.61 The acquisition of the site by British
Gas, as a strategic option for the production of substitute natural gas,
has not resulted in much land coming forward for general industrial development.
Notwithstanding this, the site can sustain a variety of uses if British
Gas do not pursue this option. The council will encourage British Gas
to establish a marketing strategy for the maximum use of the site at the
earliest opportunity. Nonetheless, in recognition of the current uncertainty
regarding when the land will come forward, the council does not count
the site towards meeting the employment land requirement figure given
in the adopted Kent Structure Plan.
2.5.62 The site is capable of accommodating port
activities and large land users associated with these, in addition to
uses within Use Class B1, B2 and B8. The site however, is unsuitable for
B1 office and high technology uses, as it does not meet the locational
tests for such uses as set out in PPG13 “Transport”. Consequently,
development within use class B1 will be permitted subject to the imposition
of conditions, or planning obligations being entered into, to restrict
occupants to Class B1( c ) light industrial uses only.
2.5.63 The Isle of Grain represents one of the
most important long term regeneration opportunities in the Thames Gateway
and its redevelopment can therefore be regarded as being of regional and
national importance. A development brief will be prepared by the Council
in conjunction with the site owners to set out the preparatory work necessary
to bring the site on stream and the parameters within which development
will then take place. The issues to be considered include the following:-
• A programme of remediation will be
needed to deal with contamination. This will prevent lateral movement
of contaminants and protect the ecology both within the site and in
the adjoining Ramsar site.
• Further improvements will be required
to the A228 between Fenn Corner and the site.
• The capacity of the rail link between
the Isle of Grain and Hoo Junction will need to be increased and capacity
constraints beyond Higham will need to be investigated.
• Funding mechanisms will need to be
explored, including the establishment of a public/private partnership,
the possibility of grant aid and the use of Section 106 obligations.
• The potential to expand both the deep-water
container trade and other coastal shipping trade will require investigation.
• The relative remoteness of the site
necessitates the preparation of a green transport plan which seeks to
expand the use of public transport and the transfer of journeys from
the car to walking and cycling.
• Other issues to be addressed include
design and landscaping, phasing, local amenity and the relationship
of the site to the village of Grain.
2.5.64 Development of this site needs to recognise
the importance of both the railhead and the access to deep-water berths.
There is considerable potential for the international transhipment of
goods through Thamesport and the Channel Tunnel if rail access is improved.
With the completion of the Medway Towns Northern Relief Road and works
on improving the A228, the site is no longer as remote from the urban
area as it once was.
2.5.65 The A228, which provides the principal
vehicular access to the site, is inadequate to support the volume and
nature of the traffic that is likely to be generated by the scale of the
development proposed. The council has successfully sought commuted sums
from a variety of developments on the Hoo peninsula in order to carry
out the necessary works on the A228, which are now principally related
to off-line improvements to the west of Hoo St Werburgh. The council will
seek a financial contribution towards the necessary additional highway
works.
2.5.66 In addition the council will seek a financial contribution towards
an environmentally sensitive upgrading of the freight line from Hoo Junction
to Grain, as this serves the Thamesport and Grain sites. The council will
encourage development here to make maximum use of river and rail, rather
than lorry, for freight movement.
POLICY S13: ISLE OF GRAIN
At Grain, as defined on the proposals map,
port activities and related development, in addition to uses falling
within Class B1 (Business), Class B2 (General Industry) and Class B8
(Storage and Distribution) will be permitted, subject to the protection
of nature conservation interests.
Development within Use Class B1, however, will be subject to the imposition
of conditions, or planning obligations being entered into, to restrict
occupants to Class B1 ( c ) light industrial uses only.
Development which does not require access
to the river, but which would prejudice use of, or access to, the deep
water wharves will not be permitted. A development brief, approved by
the council, will guide development.
Contributions will be sought to the improvement
of off-site highways or the rail link to the Isle of Grain where such
improvements are needed from a practical point of view to enable the
development to go ahead or are necessary from a planning point of view
and are so directly related to the proposed development and to the use
of land after its completion, that the development ought not to be permitted
without it.
Chattenden
2.5.70 Although the Chatham Naval Dockyard closed
in 1984 there is still a strong military presence in Medway, represented
by the Royal School of Military Engineering based at Brompton. There are
a number of training facilities scattered through the area including Upnor
and Chattenden. Kitchener Barracks on Dock Road, Chatham is also occupied
by the military.
2.5.71 Recent cutbacks in military expenditure
have seen a reduction in the Royal Engineers’ operations in Medway.
Chattenden Barracks, north of the village of Chattenden, became vacant
in 1995 and there is a possibility that the site could be declared surplus
by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The large Lodge Hill and Islingham Farm
training areas are still used by the Royal Engineers, together with smaller
operations at Lower and Upper Upnor. The MoD is still, therefore, both
a major landowner and a major stakeholder in the area.
2.5.72 The publication of the Thames Gateway
Planning Framework (RPG9a) in 1995 highlighted the development potential
of the Defence Estate at Chattenden. If this land were to be released
it could allow a more sustainable relationship to be fashioned between
employment and homes on the Hoo Peninsula. It inferred that the existing
barracks could be the basis for a campus-style development, but that there
could also be scope for expanding the community into a new village, depending
on the extent of land released. At this stage no land, including the barracks,
has been declared surplus and no proposals can therefore be included in
this plan.
2.5.73 Chattenden Barracks comprises a range
of buildings including residential accommodation, workshops, recreational
and medical facilities, teaching facilities, hard standings, open space
and woodland. This 20 hectare (50 acre) site has potential for a number
of institutional uses including higher education (which would be almost
identical to its former military use), and a high quality but small scale
industrial park. There may also be scope within the site for some new
housing development or for conversion of military housing to general housing
use, but no firm allocation is included to this effect due to the uncertainties
about the release of the site.
2.5.74 The location of the training areas owned
by the MoD is not ideal if the complex is to be expanded into a new settlement.
Land to the west falls within the visually prominent and important Hogmarsh
Valley Area of Local Landscape Importance, while the land to the north
and north east would not facilitate a natural extension or “rounding
off” of the existing built-up area. Development to the east of the
Barracks would be on agricultural land outside the MoD’s ownership
and would raise fears about possible coalescence with the settlement of
Hoo St. Werburgh. The council has specifically rejected development proposals
to the west of Hoo, in favour of an allocation to the east to avoid potentially
prejudicing long-term development options associated with the defence
estate.
2.5.75 However, the council recognises the severe
constraints on development in other areas surrounding the urban area of
Medway. Land to the west is included in the Metropolitan Green Belt while
that to the south-west and south is part of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty. The Capstone, Lidsing and Darland area is protected as
an area of local landscape importance in recognition of the important
role that this has in separating Lordswood from Hempstead and the benefits
that accrue because the countryside penetrates almost to the heart of
the conurbation. Undeveloped land in the urban fringe to the east of Rainham
and along the riverside north of Twydall and Rainham is vitally important,
as the Thames Gateway Planning Framework recognises.
2.5.76 In these circumstances the potential of
the relatively unconstrained Defence Estate at Chattenden cannot be disregarded.
The council believes that the long-term (i.e. post-2006) development needs
of Medway could be met in this area, subject to further detailed studies
and the land being made available by the MoD. The council will continue
to work to retain the Royal Engineers in Medway although the future of
Chattenden needs to be considered within the context of RPG9a.
2.5.77 A comprehensive, rather than piecemeal,
response to the potential at Chattenden will be needed, once a decision
is made on its future, as RPG9a recognises. This should be based on a
thorough consideration of the contribution that it might make to the longer-term
development needs of the Medway area. RPG9a states that any incremental
erosion of this major opportunity should be avoided, and suggested that
options should preferably be considered through a review of the development
plan. The Kent Structure Plan now reflects the Planning Framework in stating
that the site has the capacity to add to the strategic development requirements
of Medway in the medium to longer term.
2.5.78 The barracks and the training areas have significant potential
and are strategically important to the future of the local plan area.
The council’s interim position is that it would wish to consider
the role and development potential of any defence lands released at Chattenden
in the first review of the Medway local plan.
POLICY S14: MINISTRY OF DEFENCE ESTATE, CHATTENDEN
The council will not permit the piecemeal
redevelopment of the Chattenden Barracks and military training areas
during the lifetime of this plan.
The site has long term development potential
for business, educational and/or residential uses and this will be considered
in the next review of the Medway local plan.
2.6 Environmental Appraisal
2.6.1 In accordance with the guidance contained
at paragraphs 4.16 to 4.22 of PPG12 “Development Plans” the
policies in this chapter have been subject to environmental appraisal.
2.6.2 The majority of the strategic policies are very sustainable, concerned
with bringing about an urban renaissance, through encouraging the re-use
of brownfield sites and supporting the vitality and viability of existing
town centres. The policies encourage the use of sustainable forms of transport
and address positively the need to reduce travel. They promote mixed-use
development and the strengthening of the local economy. The policies are
cogent in their pursuit of a high quality of urban design that protects
local character. They also support the conservation of important elements
of both the built and natural environment.
2.7 Monitoring Measures
2.7.1 The performance of the plan in meeting
its aims with regard to the overall plan strategy will be judged against
the following criteria:
(i) the proportions of greenfield and brownfield
land used for development;
(ii) the number of major developments built
in conformity with the sequential locational test for major traffic
attracting developments;
(iii) the changes in the vitality and viability
measures for Medway’s ‘city’ centre;
(iv) the progress in the development of the
strategic schemes at: Rochester Riverside Action Area, Chatham Maritime,
Chatham Historic Dockyard, Strood Waterfront Action Area, Rochester
Airfield, Kingsnorth, Grain and Thamesport.
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