Neighbourhood Plan

Boughton Monchelsea Neighbourhood Plan 

Following the Neighbourhood Plan referendum on 6th May 2021 we are pleased to report that the plan passed referendum with 89% voting yes.

The results are available on Maidstone Borough Council's Neighbourhood Planning pages: https://localplan.maidstone.gov.uk/home/neighbourhood-planning

The results of the referendum were presented to Maidstone Borough Council's Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee on 8th June with a recommendation that Full Council ‘make’ the Boughton Monchelsea Neighbourhood Plan. The Plan was officially 'made' by MBC on 14th July 2021 and you can view the final document below.

In line with Section 38 (3A) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, the Boughton Monchelsea Neighbourhood Plan is now part of development plan for Maidstone Borough.

Thank you for all your support over the last few years.

Cllr Doug Smith

All the documents which the Parish Council submitted as part of the Neighbourhood Plan process are below, and here is a brief explanation of each.

Neighbourhood Plan draft March 2020  – this sets out planning policies which, if we are successful in the independent Examination and subsequent referendum, will be used by MBC to help make planning decisions in the parish.

Consultation Statement  and Appendices 2019 – this describes all the community consultation the Parish Council have carried out on the Plan as it was drafted, and how your comments have shaped its contents.   

Basic Conditions Statement  2020 -  a Neighbourhood Plan  has to meet various legal requirements, known as the “Basic Conditions”.  This document explains how the Plan complies.  It also lists all the publicly available sources of information used to help develop the Plan.  

Environmental Statement 2019 – this is another legal requirement, and it explains why key national bodies consider that the Plan does not require a Strategic Environmental Assessment or a Habitats Regulation Assessment.

We have also submitted key pieces of information and reports which were compiled specifically for Boughton Monchelsea to help us develop the Plan:

Colvin and Moggridge, Boughton Monchelsea Landscape Management and Masterplan 2018 – this report was prepared by landscape architects to help the Parish Council understand, maintain and improve the landscape of the parish in partnership with landowners.  

Colvin and Moggridge, Boughton Monchelsea Priority Local Landscape 2019 – this report by landscape architects identifies an area of high quality landscape which is proposed for protection in the Neighbourhood Plan

Boughton Monchelsea Housing Needs Survey 2018, Action for Rural Communities Kent – this report supports the Plan’s policies on housing

A folder of additional parish-specific Evidence on Flood Risk, MBC Housing Register and Housing Density – these are shorter documents which support the Plan’s policies on locally important topics