‘Incomplete, unjustified and not prepared in accordance with national planning policy ‘

RiverOak Strategic Partners has published, in full, its submission to Thanet District Council’s (TDC) consultation on Proposed Revisions to their draft Local Plan (Preferred Options).  This was submitted in March 2017 and included evidence presented by RiverOak at the Lothian Shelf Limited planning appeal, a decision on which is expected by the end of May.

The submission, prepared on RiverOak’s behalf by planning expert Angela Schembri, of RPS Group plc, highlights that TDC’s evidence base has resulted in proposed revisions to the Local Plan (specifically in relation to policies SP05 (Former Airport Site) and Revised Policy SP11 (Housing Provision)) that have not been prepared fully in accordance with the requirements of the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework, and calls for the Manston Airport site to therefore remain protected for aviation uses.

Said Ms Schembri: “The National Planning Policy Framework requires policies in Local Plans to be ‘sound’. By this we mean that they have to be consistent with national policy, be ‘positively prepared’ – which means based on an objective assessment of development and infrastructure requirements -and be both justified and effective. Our view, based on a review of the Local Plan evidence base, is that this requirement has not been met and therefore these policies cannot be accepted.”

RiverOak has strongly objected to TDC’s proposal to allocate land at the Manston Airport site for a mixed-use settlement comprising at least 2,500 new dwellings and up to 85,000m² of employment and leisure floorspace (or any other non-aviation use).

Continued Ms Schembri: “The Council’s proposal to allocate land at Manston Airport for significant new housing development as part of a new mixed-use settlement is wholly unjustified. There is no firm evidence that demonstrates that land at Manston Airport should be made available for any non-aviation uses and especially not for housing. Our view remains that Manston is an aviation infrastructure asset and that there is national planning policy support to retain it for aviation uses which could support thousands of jobs .”

Click hereto view the Local Plan submission document.