1. Land at Haven Farm/ Southways as identified on the Policies Map, is allocated for the development of approximately 100 dwellings, approximately 400m2 of local retail/ business uses and a site to accommodate a doctors surgery of at least 1,500m2 together with approximately 50 parking spaces. The following conditions are considered appropriate to be met before development is permitted.

Principles

2. Haven Farm, together with the adjacent Southways site (total site area approximately 7.0 hectares) are to be brought forward to provide a new village hub, with medical and local retail/ services uses, together with a new residential development and open spaces.

3. The development of the two adjacent sites will be the subject of a masterplan that demonstrates that building layout, open space and highways access have been coordinated to ensure an efficient use of land with regard to highways and environmental impacts.

4. The residential development of the rear agricultural element of the site is subject to the provision of a new, serviced medical surgery site at nil cost with the details of the land transfer and phasing enabling early delivery of the surgery in accordance with a framework to be agreed by the council.

5. The approximate land use balance is:

Design and Layout

6. Development shall be set back from the North Street frontage with landscaping to retain the semi-rural character of the setting.

7. All land parcels to be the subject of a comprehensive masterplan.

8. Design of the site will need to ensure neighbouring residential amenity is protected.

9. The design of both the ‘hub’ and residential developments are to incorporate a rural vernacular.

10. The residential elements shall be defined by distinct character areas, incorporating a variety of typologies, materials, landscaping and street scenes.

11. The site layout and design of the site shall be informed by a landscape and visual impact assessment.

12. Site design and layout shall be informed by a local historic impact assessment.

Landscape/Ecology

13. A phase 1 habitat survey will be required, which may as a result require

on and/or-off site mitigation for the existing habitat of local fauna/ flora.

14. Development will be subject to a site-wide strategy to incorporate an

appropriate level of biodiversity net gain in accordance with national and

local policy.

15. Public access to areas designated as habitat in any landscape masterplan would normally be limited to maintenance purposes.

16. Balancing ponds and swales shall not be counted towards on-site semi/natural open space needs unless it can be demonstrated that they provide appropriate and undisturbed ecological habitat.

17. All landscaping to be principally native planting.

18. The proposed woodland area shall be the subject of a Woodland Delivery Strategy and Management Plan.

19. Balancing ponds and swales shall not be counted towards on-site semi/natural open space needs unless it can be demonstrated that they provide appropriate and undisturbed ecological habitat.

20. Existing tree/ hedgerow margins should be retained/ enhanced in order to provide the opportunity for biodiversity habitat creation/enhancement.

Access, Highways and Transportation

21. The site will be accessed via a single point of access to North Street with the junction and sight lines designed to appropriate capacity and safety standards.

22. There shall be no vehicular access via Southways.

23. The development will enable the provision of new bus stops on North Street.

24. The development shall provide a new pedestrian crossing facility between the site and the village hall/playing fields complex.

25. The development shall deliver appropriate traffic speed management measures to North Street.

Open Space

26. No less than 0.35 hectares of open green amenity space shall be provided, incorporating appropriate children’s play space to meet the needs of the development.

27. The development shall deliver no less than 0.9 hectares of semi/natural open space the principle focus of which shall be to contribute to create new woodland and biodiversity net gain. The location and layout of such areas shall be designed to avoid conflict with accessible residential amenity spaces.

28. Where it is not feasible, due to site characteristics, to provide an appropriate open space typology in accordance with policy LPRSP13, the scheme shall make appropriate financial contributions towards off-site provision/public realm improvements within the village.

Utilities Infrastructure

29. The applicant is to demonstrate that adequate connections to the nearest points of the network are achievable and that adequate capacity exists/can be created for all utilities.

30. Where there may be limited capacity in the utility network, the occupation of the development will be phased to align with the delivery of infrastructure.

For more information, please visit Maidstone’s Local Plan Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan 2021-2038