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14.1 This Chapter contains the District Council's planning policies relating to the provision and retention of social, cultural and community facilities. The Council considers that the provision of such facilities is an integral part of a comprehensive approach to the development of a "selfcontained" community in the area.

14.2 The draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South East states that health, education and other social considerations and infrastructure requirements need to be taken fully into account in development planning in the Region. Development plans should facilitate the modernisation of health services; enable the provision of facilities for education and training; and support the provision of other facilities required by local communities, wherever possible maximising the potential of existing community buildings.

14.3 The Kent Structure Plan recognises the need to make provision for community needs – education, health, leisure, cultural and community facilities - and states that local authorities will have regard to these issues in preparing local plans.

14.4 The District Council recognises the importance that the social, cultural, health and spiritual needs of the community are met as far as possible, and that such facilities, which are often difficult to replace, are not lost to more financially profitable use (Policy CF1 applies). It is recognised that proposals for new community facilities including emergency services, educational services, social services and places of worship are likely to arise within the Local Plan period. This Plan seeks to make provision for identified social and other needs, but it is considered that the other policies within the Local Plan provide adequate general guidance in relation to any other such proposals which may arise within the Plan period.

14.5 In the consideration of development proposals it is essential to ensure that adequate provision of community and social facilities, including education and health, is made to meet the future needs for the District. The Council expects service providers and particularly the County Council and Health Authorities to ensure adequate provision through their planned investment programmes. However, controls over public expenditure have significant impact on the ability of the County Council and other public sector agencies to provide the necessary services.

14.6 Circular 1/97 relating to planning obligations allows Local Authorities to seek provision for, or contributions towards, educational, social or other community facilities where these are required as a direct result of the development proposed. The Council will be dependent upon service providers to demonstrate the genuine need for any such new extended or expanded community facilities. 

14.7 Kent Structure Plan Policy S9 sets out the need to provide necessary community facilities and services. It is also a Council aim to seek to ensure that the District’s infrastructure needs are met to secure economic development for the area. Residential Development proposals can often place additional demands on existing local community facilities and services. Therefore, where a development proposal is in all other respects acceptable, the Council will, where appropriate, seek planning obligations to require a developer to directly provide the necessary facilities or to ensure a contribution towards that provision.

14.8 Policy CF2 sets the general policy on development contributions. This is complemented by a number of other specific policies in the Plan (Policies EC28, TR15 and D9 refer). These are:

Policy H2A (New Primary School at Westwood);
Policy H9 (Affordable Housing);
Policy TR4 (Transport Infrastructure provision); and
Policy TR15 (Public Transport Infrastructure provision).

14.9 Training and education are core elements of the Council’s economic development strategy. In the SRB6 Bid, the Council recognises the need for continued improvements in the educational performance of the area. The Council is involved in the Thanet Lifelong Learning Partnership (TLLP), which is developing a training programme including, for example:

(1) Establishing a "Basic Skills" programme to improve educational levels across all sectors of the population, and reduce social exclusion; 
(2) Assisting Thanet SMEs to develop integrated training plans and training key members of SME staff who themselves have training responsibilities;
(3) Expanding the Thanet Employment Training Initiative (TETI) to additional sectors, such as aviation, plastics and electronics;
(4) Supporting new start-up businesses through advice, guidance and mentoring; and
(5) Assisting company expansion through pre-recruitment and customised training packages to suit the differing needs of Thanet’s SMEs and inward investors.

14.10 The Council, as Local Planning Authority, granted planning consent for the development of the new Thanet Campus for Canterbury Christ Church University College at Thanet Reach, and is committed to supporting future education and training developments that underpin the economic regeneration of the area.

14.11 At present, the Council is not aware of any specific land use requirements resulting either from the TLLP programme or from individual training and education providers. However, it is important that the Local Plan gives positive support to the development of educational and training facilities in appropriate locations within the district. The Council will seek contributions from developers of appropriate commercial and other non-residential proposals towards the cost of providing new or extended facilities for related training or life-long learning.

14.12 In the 1984 Thanet Urban Local Plan, the Council allocated land for the extension of the then Margate Hospital site, to allow the provision of additional buildings and facilities. Considerable modernisation has taken place over the last ten years, and the East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust has identified QEQM as a site for future expansion as a result of the major reconfiguration of the pattern of healthcare services required in East Kent.

14.13 This expansion is required essential to enable the continued modernisation of hospital services at the site, and improvements to the site layout. In particular, services from other sites in the East Kent area are being relocated to the QEQM, providing improved access to a comprehensive range of acute services for the population of the area. It is estimated that at least 300 extra beds are required and the number of hospital visits are estimated to go up by 27 000 per annum.

14.13.1 These proposals, together with NHS plan requirements and the improvement of significant areas of substandard accommodation, are likely to require at least an additional 30 000m2 of floorspace.

14.13.2 One particular concern at the QEQM has been the quality and location of staff accommodation. Staff levels are predicted to increase from 1800 to 2200. It is a requirement of the ‘New Deal’, NHS plan and the Clinical Royal Colleges that junior doctors and some other staff have on-site accommodation. In addition, further on-site nurse’s accommodation is essential to replace existing poor quality accommodation and to ensure quality staff can be attracted to the hospital. New accommodation must be to higher quality standards than that provided in the past. A current requirement is for at least 200 high quality staff units on-site.

It will also permit the provision of accommodation for hospital staff moving into the area. A specific proposal is the development of a four-storey block linked to the Ramsgate Road entrance building, which would house outpatient services and medical and surgical wards.

14.14 The above development is forecast to take place during this plan period but it is essential that the hospital be provided with sufficient land for expansion to ensure that its needs can be met for the foreseeable future. This Local Plan therefore identifies land to the south-east of the existing hospital site for future expansion. This land was previously designated as Green Wedge land, but has been released exceptionally to meet the health and social needs of local people. However, in order to safeguard the Green Wedge in the longer term, new development at the Hospital should involve the minimum fresh land take necessary. Accordingly the Council will expect all elements of detailed expansion proposals to make the most efficient use of the existing and allocated site. This should include appropriate use of multi-storey development as far as is compatible with the effective working of the site and the creation of a pleasant environment for both patients and staff, and limiting visual impact on the Green Wedge.

14.14.1 To minimise the visual impact of new development on the Green Wedge, it would be desirable for open uses, such as car parking, to be located on this site rather than amongst the high-density development within the existing hospital. This site, particularly the southern part, would be most suitable for the high quality staff accommodation the hospital requires. Existing tree screens along Ramsgate Road and along the footpath should be retained wherever possible. the allocated site to be used primarily for car parking,. In the interests of sustainable pedestrian and cycle movement it is desirable that a route as direct as possible is retained for the existing footpath connecting Ramsgate Road with St Peters Road.

14.14.2 The hospital has frontages to Ramsgate Road and St Peter’s Road, both of which are Primary Distributors in the local road hierarchy and where it is important to maintain free flow of cross-town and longer distance traffic. In supporting improvement and expansion of the hospital it is essential that the opportunity be taken to rationalise and improve current access arrangements. Specific proposals will be required to reflect a traffic impact assessment of such proposals (paragraph 5.18 refers) and to incorporate suitable access improvements to accommodate any resultant increases in traffic and appropriate access for ‘Blue Light’ vehicles.

14.15 The Hospital is already major generator of traffic in the area, and the Council will wish to see the development implementation of a Green Transport Strategy for the Hospital, which can be implemented in parallel with development permitted by this Policy. Part An essential element of this Strategy should be to encourage the greater use of public transport by staff and visitors. The creation of new staff accommodation on site should help to work towards this objective.