Residents MUST respond before 30th December 2020
Following the Regulation 18 (Stage 1) Consultation in 2018, Gravesham Borough Council (GBC) have considered the representations received and gathered additional information to inform the amount of housing, employment and retail development needed in the Borough to 2036.
GBC are seeking views on these issues and the options for determining where future development could take place to meet identified needs. GBC are also seeking views on the sites that it is proposed to allocate for housing and employment in addition to those already allocated in the Local Plan Core Strategy, and the updated policies in the Development Management Policies Document.
Gravesham Borough Council (GBC) is in the process of reviewing this document which guides housing and employment development in the whole Borough. It therefore has a potential impact for all of us living and working in Higham. As part of the Review GBC are required to consult with residents and other key individuals and organisations. One of its key assumptions is that by 2036, there will be a need for an extra 10,480 houses although the population of the Borough is only expected to increase from 106,900 to 109,500 in the same period – this is effectively 3 houses per new resident!
Where can I find details of the Consultation and associated plans and documents
A large number of documents, site plans showing potential development areas, draft policies that deal with issues arising from planning applications are available on the Borough Council website
https://localplan.gravesham.gov.uk/consult.ti/REG18S2/consultationHome
As we understand it paper copies of the documents are not available, but residents can access them online or can visit the Civic Centre in Gravesend. If you, or someone you know, cannot access via either of these methods you may like to write to the Chief Planning Officer and Chief Executive and say that GBC has a legal duty to provide the information in a manner/format in which you can use it.
Local Plan – Promoted Sites for Development in Higham
Here is a quick reference list of the promoted sites for development that can accompany the pdf document above:
HIGHAM
- GB05 Land Adjacent to Higham Station Higham commercial.
- GB147 Canal Road, Higham 10 dwellings.
- GBS-C Land at and adjoining Buckland Farm, Chalk Road, Higham Higham 40 dwellings. Buckland Farm Chalk Road adjoins housing which forms Green Belt boundary.
- GBS-K Land to the north, east and west of Three Crutches. Higham/Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown 1385 dwellings & commercial Greenbelt area filling in the gap between the A289 and Gravesham’s boundary with Medway. A small part of this area behind the pub is in Shorne. This is everything, wrapped around the existing ‘hamlet’ of Three Crutches, between the Wainscott Northern Bypass (A289) and the Gravesham’s boundary with Medway, including Rochester United’s football ground.
- GBS-T Land between Lower Rochester Road, Hermitage Road and School Lane, Higham Higham 85 dwellings. Recreation Ground and adjoining field.
- GBS-W Land between Taylors Lane and School Lane, to the north of High View, Higham. Higham 250 dwellings. land north of High Field, between School Lane and Taylor’s Lane
TOTAL 1770 houses
HIGHAM/ SHORNE
- GB80 Land west of Walmers Avenue, Higham Shorne, Cobham & Luddesdown 40 dwellings. This is in Green Belt and adjoins parish boundary (Walmers Avenue) and the existing houses in Higham but field is in Shorne.
TOTAL 40 houses
What are Higham Parish Council doing about the Consultation?
A number of potential sites in Higham have been identified for potential development and the Parish Council are working hard to look at the implications IF any of these sites were to be developed. Please remember, that these sites have only been identified as potential development sites. Gravesham Borough Council have, at this early stage, only been asked to put consider and forward sites in their Borough that have the potential for development.
1, Taylors Lane (opposite parade of shops-in front porch)
61, School Lane (near Railway Station-through front door)
“Larkfield Gate”, Crutches Lane (Near Three Crutches-mail box on fence)
Higham Post Office
Village Greengrocers
We need as many objections as possible to really make an impact and raise ourconcerns to GBC. Please help us make a difference and prevent the proposedbuilding on the precious Greenbelt within our villages.
More Information
For more information on the campaign named ‘Stop the Greenbelt Grab’ that has been organised by Gravesham Campaign for Rural England (CPRE), you can visit their website at
https://www.cpregravesham.org/
The website provides all of the details on how to help, donate and receive regular updates on how the campaign is progressing. Higham Parish Council also urge our parishioners to share this website too.
Thank your for your continued support.
Higham Parish Council