Policy information sourced from the Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan 2021-2038

LPRSP14(B): The Historic Enivronment.

To ensure their continued contribution to the economy, culture and image of Maidstone Borough, the characteristics, distinctiveness, diversity, and quality of heritage assets will be conserved and, where possible, enhanced. This will be achieved by the council encouraging and supporting measures that secure the sensitive restoration, reuse, enjoyment, conservation and/or enhancement of heritage assets, in particular designated assets identified as being at risk, to include:

1. Collaboration with developers, landowners, parish councils, groups preparing neighbourhood plans and heritage bodies on specific heritage initiatives including proposals for conservation and appropriate re-use of historic assets (especially as drivers for local regeneration) and bids for funding;

2. Through the development management process, securing the sensitive management and design of development which impacts on heritage assets and their settings and positively incorporates heritage assets into wider development proposals. This includes the potential public benefits from development impacting a heritage asset;

3. Through the incorporation of positive heritage policies in neighbourhood plans which are based on analysis of locally important and distinctive heritage; and broad locations identified in the local plan;

4. Ensuring relevant heritage considerations are a key aspect of site master plans prepared in support of development allocations and broad locations identified in the Local Plan and that specialist officers will be consulted at an early stage in the preparation of plans;

5. Through the reallocation of Non-Designated Heritage Assets to the Local List;

6. Through the review and reduction of assets recorded in the list of Heritage Assets at Risk held by Historic England;

7. Through reference to the Heritage Asset Assessment and Heritage Assessment of Proposed Housing Allocations matrix in all individual site policies;

8. Through the protection, conservation and enhancement of the historic environment and archaeological landscapes appropriate to their significance.

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