1,600 extra houses for Swale

Kent County Council have just issued a further set of proposed modifications to the Kent & Medway Structure Plan..

The Structure Plan originally allocated 7,500 new dwellings for Swale between 2001 and 2016.

In September 2005 this number had jumped by 800 units to 8,300. Swale has already agreed to this and have included these in the latest changes to the Local Plan, which is also currently out for consultation until the 20th February. We are told that this additional housing can be accommodated within the Local Plan without need to identify new sites. We do not currently have any further information on precisely how and where this might take place, although it has been suggested that densities on existing sites might have to be increased.

In this latest set of modifications to the Kent & Medway Structure Plan, Kent County Council have added a further 800 taking the total to 9,100 over the 2001 to 2016 period. Swale will account for 10% of all new housing in Kent if this is ultimately accepted by Swale Council.

If we accept that Swale can indeed cater for the first 800 dwellings, the latter 800 will definitely require a new site, presently not included in the Local Plan. It almost goes with saying that this will be a green field site and that Bapchild is a possible location for such a development.

This additional housing is an ideal candidate for funding an expensive section of infrastructure, perhaps the proposed A2/M2 link for example.

You can make your own opinions known by making a written representation to:

Kent & Medway Structure Plan

KMSP
Strategy Division,
Kent County Council,
Invictia House,
County Hall,
Maidstone,
Kent ME14 1XX

Before 5:00pm on Thursday 16th Februray 2006.

Local Plan

Mr S.J. Bessant,
Head of Development Services,
Swale Borough Council,
Swale House,
East Street,
Sittingbourne,
Kent ME10 3HT

or by email to localplan@swale.gov.uk

by 5:00pm on 20th February 2006.