Redrow - Oakleigh Fields, Cliffe Woods
UPDATE 30/5/21 Redrow have purchased the site from Gladmans and have now submitted an application for the 'reserved matters' (the majority of the approval having been approved). The Parish Council still has concern about the details of the design and some issues approved on the previous application that are not referenced anywhere on this application.
UPDATE 16/9/20 The Planning Committee, after a long discussion the committee agreed to approve the outline application. Some fine detail of the development has still to be approved in a further planning application (design/layout etc.), but the principle of development for 225 homes has been established. Some further funding to improve the cycle route, with a connection from the development through to Buckland Raod to the west has been agreed. The planning committee were left with no practical option due to the Government's planning policies, guidelines and rules.
UPDATE 08/09/20 The Planning Committee are due to revisit the planning application at a meeting on Wednesday 16th September. Although the recommendation of Approval is still made, there are some issues that councillors can take up with the committee. Chiefly, a proposal for a bus service (funding for 5 years) was turned down by the SoS (Secretary of State) in the previous application and remains the only reason for refusal (cost £1.125m). The new proposal costs half that (£574.692)!
UPDATE 25/03/20 The Planning Committee agreed to defer a decision at their meeting on 19/8/20. This was to allow further time to look as the recommendation. As the only remaining refusal point is the bus service to serve this development from the previous application has been overcome, the likelihood of anything other than a minor tweak to the recommendation is unlikely, but it will be looked at.
UPDATE 13/8/20 The parallel application is being submitted to the Medway Council Planning Committee on Wednesday 19th August at 6:30pm (online) after being submitted in February 2019. The Medway Officer's recommendation is for APPROVAL. See Officers Report below. The Parish Council has opened up discussions with Medway Planners and local Ward councillors about the recommendation. The report suggests there is no reason to refuse it now, but there are still gaps and errors in the report!
See attached file - the High Court Appeal against the decision by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has been dismissed in the Hight Court. This means that the refusal of outline planning for the site West of Town Road (behind Ladyclose and Mortimers) has been confirmed. Although a 'parallel application' has been submitted, this will have to take this decision into consideration. The decision was 'handed down' on Wednesday 24th July and tracked down today (26th July).
The Parish Council has followed this application through pre-planning consultation, the planning application, the planning appeal and the High Court appeal. Nobody can say it is an easily understood or transparent process, and the council has learnt a lot. Many of the issues raised by this application will also be relevant to the Trenport potential proposal for 500 homes in Cliffe as well as other applications on the Hoo Peninsula.
A fresh planning application has been submitted by Gladmans MC/19/0287 This is an almost identical outline application for 225 houses on the site.
This is an available tactic for developers to submit an application for re-assessment by the local authority and IF granted reduces the costs of the appeal.
The major case for this submission is the lack of housing site allocated in the old Medway Local Plan (2003) and although subsequent development has been taken into account there is still a shortfall (according to Gladmans). This submission also means it can be considered before the publication of a Draft Local Plan in the summer (2019) which is likely to allocate the housing development elsewhere and away from Cliffe Woods.
After refusal by the Secretary of State, Gladmans appealed to the High Court that the process followed was flawed. A decision from the Judge is awaited (if it is in Gladmans favour it will only go back to the SoS for reassessment.
(See NEWS for further updates)
8th November 2018 - The appeal against the refusal by Medway Council of Gladman's plans for 223 homes west of Town Road, Cliffe Woods was the subject of a planning inquiry in November 2017 - it was referred to the planning Minister for the final decision and it was published 8/11/2018. It has been REFUSED. Details Below
Waiting for a decision from the High Court - NOW IN (24th July - Appeal Dismissed)
07/02/19
Although the High Court appeal still has to be timetabled, Gladmans have submitted a further application for the site - almost identical to the original application. This is a process open to developers as it gives the local authority the opportunity to 'agree' the application and cut the costs of the High Court appeal. It is also timed so that it is considered before the publication of the Draft Local Plan in the summer, which will be .likely to allocate the housing needs of Medway elsewhere. The Parish Council will be submitting their comments in due course and residents should make their views known. MC/19/0287
21/12/18
Gladmans have appealed against the decision by the Minister to refuse the application - this now goes to the High Court.
05/12/17
The Planning Inspector heard from the applicant (Gladmans) for the appeal and Medway Council in support of their refusal over six days (including a site visit). The Parish Council was also officially represented (as a Rule 6 Party) and also supported the reasons for refusal and expanded on some of the issues. The planning inspector will write up the inquiry and submit his representation to the Minister who has reserved the right to make the decision. The report went to the minister and now we were waiting for the decision - due by early July 2018, but a technical planning issue has come up and delayed the decision to September 2018 (further delayed to November 2018 where the appeal was dismissed by the Minister, although the Planning Inspector had recommended allowing the appeal)
13/06/17
Gladmans have now submitted documents for the Planning Appeal process and will employ professional legal planning resources to make their case. Medway Council are likely to do likewise, although their resources may be more limited.
The most important document is their Statement of Case This is the basis for their objection - and outlines their response to the Planning Objections and Third Party Submission. A good response from third parties should reflect this.
06/06/17
The planning application for the Gladmans' site went to the Medway Council's Planning Committee and was refused. Now Gladmans have appealed against that decision (which they are entitled to, although there is no appeal against an approval). The Parish Council will be monitoring the situation and taking part in the appeal as appropriate.
Follow the appeal on the Planning Portal Site.
28/10/16
Parish Council response to the Outline Application submitted (see attachment above)
Public consultation extended to 31st October
13/9/16
Latest Info 28/9/16 Public meeting held to hear resident's views - 6pm Friday 7th October in the Cliffe Woods Community Centre, Parkside, Cliffe Woods ME3 8HX.
11/9/16
Design and Access statement (Part 1 & 2) attached. This summarises what all the other documents say and puts the 'Gladman Case'. For the planning application to be rejected, faults and issues with this will need to be demonstrated.
Consultation has been extended and will now run to 14th October 2016.
Latest Info 6/9/16
Planning Application Published - Consultation runs until Tuesday 27th August 2016, although comments will be accepted after this date.
MC/16/3669
LOCATION: LAND OFF TOWN ROAD, CLIFFE WOODS
PROPOSAL: Outline planning application with some matters reserved (appearance,
landscaping, layout and scale) for up to 225 residential dwellings (including up to
25% affordable housing), introduction of structural planting and landscaping,
informal public open space and children's play area, surface water flood mitigation
and attenuation, vehicular access point from Town Road and associated ancillary
works
Latest Info 23/8/16
MC/16/3300 Medway Planning have decided that an Environmental Impact Assessment is NOT required. So the next stage is for Gladmans to assess the responses to their Pre-Planning Consultation, respond to issues raised and submit an Outline Application - that is where people can object or support. If and when a planning application is made, the parish council will publicise it.
A bit disappointing that the request for an environmental impact assessment by the parish council was rejected, but there are strict criteria for an EIA and it was a challenge to get this application however environmental and heritage issues can form a part of the submission if there is an outline application.
Latest Info 15/8/16:
The parish council response to the Pre-Planning Consultation from Gladman's has been sent.
Latest Info 12/8/16:
No end date for consultation is printed on the leaflet, so Gladmans were asked, there reply is:
"The leaflet was distributed on Friday 5th August so this would give until at least Monday 29th August for any comments to be submitted. We will however take into consideration all comments we receive before our application is formally submitted to Medway Council."
The parish council is aware that the leaflets would not have started to arrive until after that date, but did ask for an extension to the time (from 2 to 3 weeks) because of summer holidays and the area covered (extended from Cliffe Woods only to Cliffe and Cooling Street) which was accepted.
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Developers have approached the Cliffe and Cliffe Woods Parish Council to outline their plans for a development to the West of Town Road Cliffe (see attachment) - up to 225 houses. At this stage part of the site connecting to Buckland Road is not proposed for development other than a pond for site drainage.
They will be carrying out their own Pre-Planning Consultation during August (extended to at least three weeks and widened to include Cliffe and Cooling Street and not just Cliffe Woods after requests by the Parish Council). The representations will be submitted with an Outline Planning Application in September - there will then be planning consultation via Medway Council (further 3 weeks).
The site is outside the current village boundary and would not normally be allowed, but due to the age of the current Medway Local Plan it can be considered if it can prove to be sustainable and impacts on the local area can be managed.
Even if it is approved, there would need to be a detailed planning approval, and further consultation, before any construction can start.
Check back for further updates
