New Ash Green

Message from Sevenoaks District Council – Planning Consultations

SEVENOAKS DISTRICT COUNCIL DRAFT LOCAL PLAN CONSULTATION (JULY 2018)

We are launching our Draft Local Plan consultation on 16 July 2018 and this will run until 5pm on 10 September 2018. For further information, please see the Council’s website www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/draftlocalplan

We would love to hear your views!

The Local Plan is important planning policy that says what can be built and where and will guide housing, employment, retail and other infrastructure needs up to 2035.

Last year we sent a survey to every home in the District asking for your views on the ‘Issues’ facing the area over the next twenty years and our suggested ‘Options’ for dealing with them. We had a magnificent response – over 15,000 of you took part – and overwhelmingly you supported our ideas, which have been incorporated into this draft of the Local Plan.

This is now your opportunity to make your views known on policies and sites within the Plan and to contribute to what we hope is an ambitious and appropriate plan for the District.

How can I have my say?

· Explore our interactive map to view and comment on sites in your area simply by typing in your town or village (or postcode).

· Read our Draft Local Plan and comment on our 19 draft policies

We would prefer you to comment on our sites and policies using the above links, but alternatively you can complete a consultation form and send it to us at planning.policy@sevenoaks.gov.uk or Planning Policy, Sevenoaks District Council, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1HG (clearly stating the site or policy reference please).

Unfortunately comments that are submitted anonymously cannot be accepted. Comments will be published and attributed by name/organisation only. Contact details will not be published but will be used to keep you informed of the progress of the Local Plan.

You can unsubscribe from the Local Plan at https://selfservice.sevenoaks.gov.uk/unsubscribe

You can view our privacy notice at https://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/privacy

Where can I find out more?

We are running a number of drop-in sessions where you can meet our friendly Planning Policy Team throughout July, August and September to find out more about the Draft Local Plan and what’s proposed for your area. No appointment is necessary and you’re welcome to attend any session, wherever you live, so come and visit us in:

Town	Date	Time	Location
Westerham	Thursday 19 July	2pm-8pm	Westerham Town Council Offices, Market Square, TN16 1RB
Sevenoaks	Thursday 26 July	11am-3pm	Blighs Meadow, Opposite Costa Coffee, TN13 1DA
Hartley	Tuesday 31 July	2pm-8pm	All Saints Church Hall, Ash Road, DA3 8EL
Edenbridge	Tuesday 14 August	2pm-8pm	Waitrose Edenbridge, Mont St Aignan Way, TN8 5LN
Swanley	Wednesday 29 August	2pm-8pm	Swanley Link, London Road, BR8 7AE
Sevenoaks	Wednesday 5 Sept	2pm-8pm	Sevenoaks District Council Offices, Argyle Road, TN13 1HG

Paper copies of the Draft Local Plan and appendices are also available to view at our office in Sevenoaks (Argyle Road, Sevenoaks TN13 1HG), libraries across the District and at your town or parish council. The Plan is available for purchase for £20 from SDC offices.

The consultation period runs from 16 July 2018 until 5pm on 10 September 2018.

What happens next?

Once the consultation closes on 10 September, all your comments will be considered by our Planning Policy Team. We will then publish our final version of the Plan later this year, taking account of your comments. You will have an opportunity to comment then, too. This version of the Local Plan will be submitted to the Government and examined at a public examination in the spring of 2019. If approved by the Government, we hope that the Local Plan will be adopted and used by the Council later in 2019.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance with the consultation.

DOG OWNERS – PLEASE DISPOSE OF POO BAGS RESPONSIBLY

Over the winter months the number of used poo bags being discarded inappropriately (in hedgerows and trees, on verges, and throughout our woodlands) has increased dramatically. A member the Woodlands Group recently removed over 200 from the badgers’ sett in Nine Horse Wood. This is not acceptable. If you are a dog owner, you are responsible for clearing up after your pet and putting the bagged poo into one of the many bins provided. Most of us do this, but there is a small (but very significant) minority who don’t. If you are one of those, your behaviour is giving all dog owners a bad name and is leading to unsightly contamination throughout the village. Thankyou to all those who behave responsibly and who also find this disgusting habit intolerable.