Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of the ninth Annual Monitoring Report, which analysed progress against a range of indicators associated with the adopted development plan and the draft Core Strategy that applied at the end of the monitoring period. In bringing together a great deal of information for the period 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2013 the Monitoring Report was a valuable reference for various bodies interested in the Council’s performance.

It was noted that the Core Strategy had been withdrawn on 21 November 2013, following the decision by the Board of Natural England to confirm the site of the proposed new settlement at Lodge Hill as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Ordinarily the Monitoring Report would assess progress against the individual policies in that plan. Given its withdrawal however, it was instead arranged under the themes in the Core Strategy and it would be re-formatted in future years to reflect the emerging replacement local plan.

The main highlights of this year’s Monitoring Report included continued progress with the regeneration programme and, despite the number of housing completions being down on the Medway annual average to date, it was proportionately higher than elsewhere in Kent, with affordable housing completions well above target.

The Medway Annual Monitoring Report 2012 (Volume 1) had been circulated to Cabinet Members in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

Reasons:

To comply with the duty to compile and publish an annual report.