Swale Council has put its Local Plan for the Borough on hold.  The Policy & Resources Committee have agreed a recommendation by officers to "postpone Regulation 19 consultation until the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill gains Royal Assent or there is greater certainty regarding national policy direction in relation to the local plan system”.

The draft Local Plan, which attracted overwhelming opposition from residents, would have meant the construction of up to 1,400 extra new houses on greenfield sites in Teynham and Lynsted - an area lacking in facilities and infrastructure, as well as suffering from high levels of traffic congestion and poor air quality.

It is expected to be delayed for 12-18 months.  The report by Council planning officers highlighted that any consultation taking place during the next 12 months or so is likely to need to be re-done to take into account revisions to national policy.

Cllr Julien Speed, chairman of Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council, welcomed the move:

“I called for the Swale Local Plan process to be halted as long ago as October last year in view of expected changes to Government planning policy.  Yesterday, new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed his commitment to a strategy of brownfield-first.  

“None of the five options in their most recent consultation would have delivered the right development for the Borough.  It would have meant submitting an unsound plan to the Government's inspector, with little chance of it being approved.

“We now face ongoing uncertainty around Swale Council’s emerging thinking on development plots and planning strategy.

“During this hiatus, we need transparency on their evidence base and assessment criteria - with a programme of engagement to bring the community with them as opposed to presenting us with a fait accompli.

“In the meantime, the Council needs to resist speculative planning applications across the Borough.  All out-of-scale developments should be refused until the picture becomes clearer”.