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Revised for Public Consultation The revised Local Plan is being published on 28th March 2003 and will be
available to look at in all Libraries, Cecil St Council Offices,
Albion House
and Pierremont Hall from that day. Debenhams coming to Westwood Cross Following the grant of outline planning permission it was announced that
Debenhams had signed up to occupy a major department store at Westwood Cross. Broadstairs, Margate and Ramsgate When the first Plan was published many people raised concerns at the future of Broadstairs, the impact of Westwood and the effects of encouraging a 24 hour economy in the town. The Plan has been re-written in response to these concerns to make it clear that the present character and identity of Broadstairs needs to be conserved and enhanced, not radically changed. The Local Plan does not propose any major changes to Broadstairs. Problems in Margate and Ramsgate need more radical change and the Local Plan supports major initiatives to help the regeneration of these centres such as the Ramsgate Renaissance Framework, the Old Town Way and the Turner Centre. These innovative proposals will build on the traditional character and history of these towns. Careful consideration will need to be given to the future of Dreamland and a Masterplan for Margate is under discussion. The Council is fully committed to ensuring a positive and healthy future for our traditional town centres. Housing Providing enough homes and a choice of type, location and affordability remains a key objective of the Plan. We need new homes to meet not only local needs but to ~nsure the area remains attractive to new people coming to work in our new industries and at the airport and to ensure new investors are not put off by a shortage of homes. We looked very carefully at the many comments we received on how many homes should be built and where they should go. Since the first draft of the Plan we have re-assessed all the issues and concluded that we need to provide slightly fewer homes than was originally thought. The Plan now proposes that 4,200 homes should be built, 500 less than before. We have also increased our target 9f homes to be built on brownfield land from 60% to 70%. This is higher than current government targets. Having considered all the arguments put forward regarding the building of major new housing at Westwood (1,000 homes) and Minster (loo homes) the Council remains convinced that these two sites should be developed to ensure that the choice and quality of homes we need can be provided in truly sustainable locations. The Plan now places a much greater emphasis on getting a lot more affordable homes built over the next few years. We have therefore changed the Plan to help those people unable to meet their housing needs through the private market. These new policies are to help ensure affordable homes get built on a greater number of sites. At Minster priority for occupation of affordable homes will be given to people with local connections. Montefiore Site Sir Moses Montefiore, the well-known local Victorian philanthropist, is buried next to the Synagogue he had built off Dumpton Park Drive in Ramsgate. Following discussions with local and Jewish groups Policy T8 has been re-written to emphasise the importance of this site to the local and wider community and to confirm that it sh?uld be used as a peaceful garden area and not as a playing field or park. The Policy has also been moved to the Iieritage chapter and re-numbered HEI5. Sport and Recreation Everyone would like to see new, different and better facilities in Thanet. Of particular importance is ensuring that attractive facilities are provided for younger people. The Local Plan wholeheartedly supports such proposals. The Plan cannot itself provide those facilities and even if the capital cost can be found they often need subsidy to keep them running. But, the Plan does require developers of larger housing sites to provide recreational land or to pay for new play areas or open space. The Council is constantly seeking ways to improve and enhance all our leisure facilities. Economic Development and Regeneration Development of the major business parks at Manston, Eurokent and Thanet Reach will continue but the Council is adopting a slightly more flexible attitude to the uses that can occupy these parks to support not only the workers but also the wider community. The northern part of Eurokent has, following the planning permission granted there, been allocated for leisure uses including a cinema and restaurants. A new Policy gives support to the relocation of Horn by and the development of a new "Hornby Heritage Centre." This will allow B&Q to build a new and bigger "Warehouse Store" on the existing Hornby site. The Council will continue to support the development of London Manston as a regional airport. There were very few objections to the strategy for the airport during the first consultation. However the Council have retained a range of protective Policies that will ensure all proposals at the airport are rigorously examined for their potential impact on the environment and on peoples lives. The commitment regeneration of Margate and Ramsgate remains unchanged and policies on the Old Town and Ramsgate Renaissance have been moved to this chapter to emphasise their links with the economy of the area. Land is safeguarded at the Port in Ramsgate to ensure that a passenger service can operate once a viable operator can be found. Transport Faster and better rail links to London are a vital issue and the Council has
been lobbying government at the highest level to ensure improvements are made. QEQM Hospital The QEQM hospital is vital to the future well being of the area and it will expand to provide more and better services over the coming years. To ensure the hospital can grow efficiently and is not constrained for lack of space an additional area of greenfield land has been allocated Bxplicitly for the hospital to use and for no other purposes. The hospital authorities will however be expected to show in any proposals, that they are making best use of both the t1ew land and of the existing site. Objections considered Following publication of the first draft of the new Local Plan comments were received from just over 3,000 people. Having read every letter and form, over 8,000 objections were identified. Many of these objections were alike and referred to similar subjects. Nevertheless every objector and each objection was given a unique number. All the comments were then considered by a special Working Party of Councillprs from all the political parties represented on the Council. They were then discussed at a special meeting of the Council's Cabinet. The Cabinet proposed many changes to the Plan as a result of the comments received. At a meeting of the full Council held on 20th February 2003, the changes were discussed and the go ahead was given to publish the Revised Version of the Plan which is now available. What do I do If you made au objection to the Plan in 2001 and your objection has been met by the changes we have made please write to us or e-mail us at the address below and let us know. If you made an objection that has not been met you need do nothing at this stage and we will write to you again later this year. We will then ask if you want to appear at the public inquiry in person to present your case to the Inspector or if you want your case considered as a written objection. If you are not happy with any of the changes we have made to the Plan please write and tell us what your concerns are. It would help us a lot if you would put your comments on one of our objection forms, which are available in the back of the Plan or at our offices. If you can't find one please phone and we will send you one. The Local Plan team at Thanet Council are here to help explain the Plan, answer your questions and guide you through what is a complicated process. Please call us on 01843577591 or e-mail us at localplans@thanet.gov.uk if you have any doubts or need more advice. |
