BOROUGH GREEN PARISH COUNCIL
The need of quiet , the need of air, the need of exercise, and I believe the sight of sky and of all things growing, seem human need, common to all and not to be dispensed with without great loss.” Octavia Hill in 1888 Plus ca change, eh !
TMBC LOCAL PLAN 2018 Failed Version
This briefing note for Parish Councillors sets out the conclusions of the overwhelming evidence against BGGC.
TMBC's LOCAL PLAN REJECTED BY PLANNING INSPECTORS
TMBC TRY TO REINTRODUCE BOROUGH GREEN GARDEN CITY INTO THE NEW LOCAL PLAN.
As you can see in the PTAB Report below, they are trying to make BGGC a done deal before they run the new Local Plan consultation
PLANNING & TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD REPORT. The Confidential Part of the meeting decided that a New Local Plan should be drafted, but I can't tell you what the options were, top secret !!
WHY BGGC RELIEF ROAD CANNOT GO THROUGH IGHTHAM SANDPIT
Below - TMBC 2016 "Draft" proposal Plan
And this is the appropriately shadowy Huw Edwards, the architect and driver of the whole BGGC Scheme, who has managed to convince TMBC Planners he has the Landowners Consortium behind him.
And as he is handing overworked Planning Officers 43% of their entire Plan, with no work involved for them, the grabbed it with all hands
Tonbridge & Malling's Local Plan requires 3000 house to be built between the Celcon Factory at Darkhill through to the A20 at Nepicar. This is all Greenbelt Land, and some AONB. There is a presumption in planning that you do not use Greenbelt until Brownfield and other unconstrained land is used. TMBC ignored 11,400 plots in their Call For Sites that they deemed "available and achievable" across the Borough, but in more politically sensitive locations.
Borough Green, Wrotham, Platt, Stansted & Ightham Parishes, supported by Plaxtol, Shipbourne & Seal appointed their own team of Planning Solicitors and a Barrister, with a team of experts in Highways and Landscape to give us an equal voice in the process.
The Planning Inspectors seem to share our view, and during the first virtual hearings of the Planning Inquiry in October, they cancelled the subsequent hearings with this letter to TMBC, who are burying their heads in the sand, insisting their plan is "sound".
2021 will be very interesting, especially for us. We haven't won the war, but we have definitely won a major battle.
Feb 1st 2021 update. TMBC have finally responded to the Inspector's letter from December, basically sticking two fingers up at the Inspectors. This could all end up in the High Court, but I suspect TMBC haven't got the bottle to challenge the Planning Inspeectorate
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In 2021 TMBC Backed down, voted to start a new Plan, but with BGGC pre-approved without further consultation.
As well as the maps here, there are some important documents, such as BGPC's detailed submission to the Local Plan, and a Landfill Report that should be read in conjunction with the Landfill Sites Map below
Much more evidence at BGGC EVIDENCE PAGE
And this is what commuter trains from Borough Green Station could be like....
Below is a map taken from KCC's Minerals Plan, apologies for their poor quality, but it clearly shows that the final piece of land at the Eastern End at Nepicar is within the Plan Safeguarded boundary, and cannot be sterilised by Housing development
Below is an aerial video of the entire BGGC Site It is not until you see the entire 143 hectares from the air that you realise how vast this development is
