Last Friday I co-hosted a public meeting with Cliffe Woods local councillor John Williams and the parish council to discuss the proposed development of 225 homes off Town Road and another development off View Road.
I was delighted that the meeting at Cliffe Woods Community Centre brought together around 200 local residents, all of whom shared the similar concerns that I have with this proposal by Gladmans. It provided us with the valuable opportunity to outline the planning process and then to understand each individual alarm before a plan of action is formed.
I continue to oppose this application for development based on many of the issues raised at the meeting. Such issues include the impact on local public services, in particular the availability of school places and access to GP surgeries, increased traffic along the B2000 and the associated environmental impacts. It is clear that the proposal as it stands does nothing to address any of these concerns.
Again, it is important to stress the importance of mine and the Council’s work towards formulating Medway’s Local Plan. Without such, we remain highly vulnerable to predatory applications such as the one proposed by Gladmans. Having our Local Plan in place will enable the Council to identify where practical development can happen and what infrastructure is necessary to make it sustainable, which is clearly not the case in Cliffe Woods. Cliffe Woods are already in the process of developing their own neighbourhood plan which will provide opportunity for local residents to influence planning policy for the benefit of the community, and I welcome such an initiative.
However, given we are expected to deliver up to 29,463 by 2035 – which I also believe is unsustainable – we have to accept that some development needs to happen and our local villages will inevitably expand. But this should not be at the cost of disturbing the balance of our rural and urban infrastructures. I am continuing to work with colleagues both locally and in Westminster to help ensure we have a Plan that is deliverable and offers a vision for Medway that we can be proud of.
In terms of next steps, the application will next go to the Council’s planning committee at which Cllr John Williams will speak for the Cliffe Woods community. I will also be submitting a submission to the consultation and committee raising the objections raised at the public meeting. This will be a long process and I will continue to work with and update residents as we move forwards.