Decision details

Adoption of the revised Mineral and Waste Local Development Scheme which sets out the work programme and timescale for the Council’s statutory local plan making responsibilities as planning authority for minerals and waste management development.

Reason for the decision

Section 15 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires the County Council, as the minerals and waste planning authority for Kent, to maintain a scheme, known as the Local Development Scheme.  This Scheme sets out the timetable for preparing and revising the Council’s development plan documents.  The development plan documents are more commonly referred to as Local Plans and set new policy that affects more than one electoral division.

Background

The County Council’s current Local Development Scheme, which was adopted in February 2019 includes a timetable for preparing the Kent Mineral Sites Plan and completing an Early Partial Review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30. Work on the Mineral Sites Plan and Early Partial Review has now been completed.

The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 (KMWLP) was adopted in July 2016 and the Council is statutorily required to review adopted planning policy at least every five years. The elements of the plan recently updated by the Early Partial Review will not require review until 2025.

An updated Local Development Scheme, to be known as the Kent Minerals and Waste Development Scheme 2021, is therefore required to set out the timetable for the review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30.

It is proposed that the scheme also be updated to include details of the timetable for completing the following:

§  Updates to the Kent Minerals and Waste Safeguarding Supplementary

    Planning Document (SPD); and,

§  review and update of the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement (SCI).

How the proposed decision meets the objectives of ‘Increasing Opportunities, 

      Improving Outcomes: Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement (2015-2020)’

The KMWLP and associated policy documents support the County Council’s corporate policies  contained within the Council’s Strategic Statement ‘Increasing Opportunities, Improving Outcomes – Kent County Council’s Strategic Statement 2015-2020 and national planning policy requirements.

Kent’s mineral and waste planning policies support and facilitate sustainable growth in Kent’s economy and support the creation of a high-quality built environment, with accessible local services that reflect the community’s needs and support its health, social and cultural well-being.

As Cabinet Member responsible for the Minerals and Waste Local Plan, I agree to give approval to the Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme 2021 that concerns:

-         The review of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30

-         updates to the Kent Minerals and Waste Safeguarding Supplementary Planning Document

-         review and update of the Council’s Statement of Community Involvement