Issue - meetings

Background:

This report provided details of the Innovation Park Medway Masterplan which outlined a scheme to deliver a high quality innovation park, with flexible plots to encourage a wide range of high-value technology, engineering, manufacturing and knowledge-intensive businesses. The site covered an area of land currently in use by Rochester Airport Ltd. The Masterplan also covered land leased to BAE, and Woolmans Wood Caravan Site which was privately owned. A small part of the BAE-owned site was also included.

The report stated that, if adopted, the preferred option for taking forward the Masterplan would be a Local Development Order (LDO). This would allow plots to come forward with speed and ease for developers and/or businesses. A separate report was elsewhere on the Agenda to seek permission to publicly consult on the Local Development Order, with a view to adopting this in July 2019.

The report provided details of the outcome of consultation in section 6 of the report. Consultation took place between September – October 2018 and a total of 42 responses were received. In addition, the report stated that discussions with Highways England were ongoing and confirmation that they were content with the Masterplan was still awaited.

The report also stated that given the site crossed the boundary with Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, the Masterplan must be adopted by both Medway Council and Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.

A Diversity Impact Assessment had been undertaken on the project and was attached at Appendix B to the report.

Appendices A-C to the report were set out in Supplementary Agenda No.1.

Reasons:

Adoption of the Masterplan as a Supplementary Planning Document formally sets a standard through planning policy for high quality development to come forward at Innovation Park Medway.