protect our green belt from development

What’s the alternative ?

• High quality, high density housing using less land
• Reduce the number of houses to be built
• Gravesham Borough Council have to prove that the first 5 years can be delivered from the date of adoption of the Core Strategy. If Gravesham Borough Council opt for between 4600-5200 homes Gravesham will exceed its requirement for the first 10 years. Beyond the 5 year period it can make assumptions i.e. stalled developments such as Lord Street Car Park would go ahead thus making a case not to use the green field sites.
• Gravesham Borough Council are considering a 20 year plan instead of the minimum 15 year plan. Reducing the plan to 15 years and opting for the Long Term Migration Trend (4600 homes x 75%) would negate the need to develop any current green field or greenbelt sites. It would also bring Gravesham in line with all its neighbouring councils.

              Dartford have a 15 year plan

              Sevenoaks have a 15 year plan

              Medway have a 15 year plan

              Tonbridge & Malling have a 15 year plan

               Why not Gravesham?

 

• Dartford Borough Council are planning to build 5250 homes at Ebbsfleet Valley next to the Gravesham Boundary by 2026. Gravesham Borough Council need to focus on regenerating the town and its existing residential area’s to make it an attractive place to live.
• Gravesham Borough Council are favouring using Northfleet Embankment West for employment rather than homes, reducing the number of homes from 2670 to just 150. Reversing this decision would negate the need to develop any current green field / greenbelt sites.
• Gravesham Borough Council documents indicate that other than the Ebbsfleet Valley, Canal Basin, Northfleet East and Grove Road developments there will be no other development throughout the whole of the borough for the period 2022-2031, this is not realistic distorting the results. If Gravesham take a more realistic view and include estimated sites in their data there would no longer be a shortfall in development land.
• Larger single dwellings in the borough could be demolished / redeveloped to provide multiple dwellings. This is currently happening in the borough yet Gravesham Borough Council have not included this possibility in the 2022-2031 figures.
• Accommodate all the required dwellings in brown field land:

               Medway are doing it

               Dartford are doing it

 

Why cann’t Gravesham ?