Agenda item

Background:

This report provided details of the Innovation Park Medway Local Development Order (LDO) and asked the Cabinet to recommend to Full Council that it be adopted. The report explained that the LDO built upon the masterplan (agenda item 4 refers) to set principles for development to bring forward high quality development in the high-value technology, engineering, manufacturing and knowledge-intensive sectors.

The report described that an initial consultation on the LDO was undertaken from 7 June to 19 July 2019. Comments received were set out in the Consultation Statement, at Appendix D to the report. A number of further actions were required to address concerns regarding the transport assessment for Highways England, prior to the adoption of the LDO. In addition, Natural England also required several actions to address the impacts on the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the North Downs Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These related to landscape and visual impact on the AONB, noise and tranquillity impact on the AONB, and air quality impacts on the North Downs SAC.

Additional modelling was undertaken in consultation with Highways England and KCC Highways, to identify the traffic impacts from Innovation Park Medway, with consideration of the potential wider impacts from the Strategic Transport Assessment. Mitigation design and further modelling was then undertaken for the key local and strategic junctions to demonstrate the impacts of the development could be mitigated satisfactorily.

Further work was also undertaken to address the concerns raised by Natural England and an addendum to the Environmental Statement was produced, including an additional chapter of the Design Code to reflect Natural England’s concerns regarding landscape and visual impact on the AONB.

The report stated that a second public consultation was then undertaken by Medway Council on the new information from 26 October to 27 November 2020. Additional comments were gathered from statutory and public consultees, which are set out at Appendix E to the report. Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council conducted a separate consultation in parallel with a difference of three days to the start and end dates.

The report noted that the response from Natural England had been positive, recognising the additional work done to satisfy their concerns. Their comments provided a steer to some minor tweaks to the design code, which had been undertaken. The Kent Downs AONB Unit response was less positive. However, it did acknowledge the work done to date to further mitigate the impacts on the AONB, with input from both Natural England and the AONB unit.

The report also noted that officers had worked very closely with Highways England to reach agreement on the way forward. Further changes were made to the LDO to clarify the delivery of necessary mitigation measures at the right time and in the right place to be informed by a Monitor and Manage Mitigation Strategy. KCC Highways had also reached an agreed position whereby the Monitor and Manage Mitigation Strategy would consider the necessary trigger point for mitigation, particularly at Bridgewood Roundabout and the junction of Rochester Road/Laker Road, in consultation with KCC Highways and Highways England. On this basis KCC Highways confirmed they do not wish to raise objection on highway grounds.

The report explained that once adopted, the LDO would allow future occupants and developers to submit proposals through a self-certification form, verifying their proposals against the criteria set out in the Local Development Order and Design Code. The process would be limited to 28 days following a 7-day validation, to help provide a swift response and allow development to come forward in a short timeframe. This timeframe included discharge of conditions and no further consultation was required prior to approval.

A Diversity Impact Assessment was carried out during the consultation stage and was set out at Appendix G to the report.

Reasons:

Adoption of the LDO will set a clear planning framework to allow high quality development to come forward at Innovation Park Medway.