Policy information sourced from Tonbridge and Malling Core Strategy
CP22 Retail Development
New retail development will be proposed in the LDF, or otherwise permitted, if it maintains or enhances the vitality and viability of the existing retail centres and properly respects their role in the retail hierarchy in accordance with the following sequence:
- on sites located within the defined limits of the town, district or local centres;
- on edge-of-centre sites, but only if there is sufficient capacity and a retail need is demonstrated that cannot be accommodated within a town, district or local centre;
- on out-of-centre sites, but only if there is sufficient capacity and a retail need is demonstrated that cannot be accommodated within or on the edge of a town, district or local centre. Sites that are well related to an existing retail area will be preferred to ones that have no such relationship. In this respect, Quarry Wood, Aylesford, is considered to be a suitable location for additional comparison goods retail development subject to there being no suitable sites within Maidstone urban area.
Proposals which might harm the vitality or viability of an existing centre either in terms of retail impact or, in the case of smaller centres, undermining the balance of uses or harming their amenity, will not be permitted.
Note: For the purpose of applying this Policy retail centres are defined as follows:
| Town Centre | Tonbridge |
|---|---|
| District Centres | Borough Green, Kings Hill, Martin Square/Larkfield, Snodland, West Malling |
| Tonbridge Urban Local Retail Centres | Martin Hardie Way, York Parade |
| Medway Gap Urban Local Retail Centres | Twisden Road, East Malling, Premier Parade, Aylesford, Woodlands Parade, Ditton, Little Market Row, Leybourne |
| Rural Local Retail Centres | East Peckham, Hadlow, Hildenborough |
| New Local Retail Centres | Leybourne Grange; Peters Pit |
| Out-of-Centre Retail Facilities | Lunsford Park, Quarry Wood, Aylesford, Cannon Lane, Tonbridge |
| Individual local shops | within suburban areas and rural settlements |
For more information please see the Core Strategy