Issue - meetings

Prior to consideration of the report Members received a presentation from  Mr White, Transport & Development Business Manager.

(1)       The publication of the “Manual for Streets (Department for Transport, Communities and Local Government & Welsh Assembly Government, March 2007)” had necessitated a review of the Kent Design Guide. Furthermore, the publication of Planning Policy Statement PPS3: “Housing (Communities & Local Government, November 2006)” heralded a shift in guidance concerning residential parking ‘standards’ such that local planning authorities were required to produce residential parking policies for their areas. Kent’s District Councils asked Kent Highway Services to use its considerable knowledge and growing evidence base on the subject to produce a response to PPS3.

(2)       The public realm arm of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, Space, facilitated an external review of the Kent Design Guide that gave it a relatively clean bill of health. However, the visibility guidance in the Guide had been superseded, the Quality Audit ‘concept to completion’ process needed to be enlarged upon and the guidance in respect of residential parking needed to be emphasised. The latter also satisfied the need to replace the residential parking element of Kent and Medway Structure Plan Supplementary Planning Guidance SPG4 (Vehicle Parking Standards) to accord with PPS3.

(3)       The Kent Planning Officers Group (KPOG), as ‘client’ for the Kent Design Initiative, had overseen preparation of and consultation on the resulting Interim Guidance Notes. They had been approved by KPOG and were to be offered for adoption, for Development Control purposes, by Medway Council and Kent’s District Councils. Formal approval by Kent County Council would encourage such adoption.

Interim Guidance Note 1 – Quality Audits

(4)       The Kent Design Guide promoted collaborative working (“the Development Team approach”) on all developments involving the creation of new streets and places. Manual for Streets developed the idea into Quality Audits. These enabled the Development Team to balance a range of complimentary and competing factors to arrive at the best overall development.

(5)       The Quality Audit Note established the way that Quality Audits should work, with reference to the Building for Life standard that was being recommended for use by all those involved in designing, assessing and building new housing.

(6)       The Note also drew upon survey work conducted by Kent Highway Services, in conjunction with the Kent Design Initiative, into residents’ views on recently completed developments.

Interim Guidance Note 2 – “Visibility”

(7)       The ‘visibility standards’ contained in the Kent Design Guide had been superseded by the guidance contained in Manual for Streets. The Interim Guidance Note explained the changes and related them to good design.

Interim Guidance Note 3 – Residential Parking

(8)      Parking was by far the biggest cause of dissatisfaction among residents of recently completed developments. In spite of the guidance contained in the Kent Design Guide, discredited ideologies on the location, design and number of spaces were still being imposed. PPS3 sought a design-led approach that took account of expected levels of car ownership, having regard for the most efficient  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7