Video* of meeting and key points
There was a great turnout from the village on Tuesday to hear from Persimmon's Matthew Besant about the progress of their revised plans - a full house!
We are pleased that Persimmon has taken note of everyone's concerns on the portal, and that the adopted Neighbourhood Plan is now being given due attention.
Key points made by Persimmon include:
Persimmon 'can't ignore' 260 village objections
Persimmon have engaged a new architect and Planning Consultant to bring 'fresh eyes' to a new plan
Persimmon will 'respond properly' to the policies of the Horsmonden Neighbourhood Plan
Persimmon will submit their new plans under the existing application 23/00044/HYBRID
The new plan will have a new layout, a reduced number of dwellings (likely to be 15-20 fewer), reduced density and will re-evaluate the impact on immediate neighbours
There will be a public exhibition of the new plans in late September or October
The housing mix will be reviewed given the village's desire for smaller dwellings
A new Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment will be undertaken
Highways, pedestrian access and Health Centre challenges remain
Street lighting will be reduced
We reserve judgement until we see how the revised plans actually look - and how they address everyone's concerns, including the points made by the BFF in their letter to the Planning Committee Members.
*Video now removed. Points summarised below.
Thoughts? Please do share them in the comments at the bottom of the page!
Time stamp | Summary of Points |
| Presentation by Matthew Besant |
3.30 | Persimmon acknowledge public's objections (260) to the application - specifically those around landscape impact, ecology, density, parking, layout and residential amenity |
3.55 | Persimmon have appointed a new architecture firm, to effectively 'start again'. Working with a new Planning Consultant, they will look at the Neighbourhood Plan and 'respond properly' to it, as well as the requests and requirements put forward by both statutory consultees and the public |
4.24 | Persimmon haven't withdrawn the current plan because they plan to substitute new plans within the existing application. Although they have 'left it there', the Local Authority will not be determining the application with the current plan. |
4.40 | Over the next couple of months, Persimmon will strip the application 'back to basics' and create a new plan, with a new Landscape Assessment and probably new access arrangements since this is an area flagged by so many local people as an area of concern. |
5 mins | The new plan will contain a new layout, landscaping details, a reduced number of dwellings, reduced density and will undergo a proper review of impact on the immediate neighbours to the site - namely New Bassetts Cottages and Bassetts Villas. |
5.36 | Highways issues to be explored might include a new village gateway, chicanes, potential safety improvements at crossroads |
6.45 | Persimmon will hold a public exhibition towards the end of September/October of the new plans, showing how they have been amended to address concerns |
7.20 | Persimmon are listening to residents and do not want to 'ride roughshod' over them |
7.50 | Persimmon are still committed to the project but will work to ensure local voices are heard and 'any social value that can be delivered, will be' |
8.30 | Questions from Councillors |
8.40 | QUESTION: How will the density issue be addressed? |
| RESPONSE: Too soon to say. Architects and landscape architects will be involved. They will identify appropriate places to build. It is likely that the eastern part of the site will have a lesser density. There are likely to be 15-20 fewer houses overall in the new plan |
10.00 | QUESTION: What about the housing mix? |
| RESPONSE: Going to look at the size of dwellings, the request for bungalows. Residents have made it clear that smaller dwellings are preferred. |
11.00 | QUESTION: Traffic - given residents' concerns around traffic density and flow around the site access, and the fact that the chicanes implemented in Lamberhurst were experimental and decided by KCC that it wouldn't be installing any more, plus the fact there is a sweeping bend there, how does Persimmon see that working? |
| RESPONSE: Chicanes are just one option to be explored. KCC seem to be reluctant to implement traffic calming measures. |
13.28 | QUESTION: Footpath: 1.2 metres wide between a drop to the road and a wall means that a buggy and a mobility scooter would be unable to pass. How to overcome? |
| RESPONSE: Can't do anything about the width of the road. Looking to design a more appealing pedestrian access to the village on the northern part of the site, widening the footpath. |
16.00 | QUESTION: What assurances can you give that you are not just paying lip service? |
| RESPONSE: To fire an architect and Planning Consultanct 9 months into a planning application and 4/5 years into a project is a big deal. Persimmon have engaged new architects to ensure there are fresh eyes on the project. Persimmon are 'at the table, listening'. |
17.50 | QUESTION: The 'extension' of the Limit to Built Development to encompass the eastern part of the site in the Submission Local Plan means that building there will impact views protected in the Neighbourhood Plan - and housing there will be outside the 800m 'walkable' distance of village amenities. How will Persimmon address this? |
| RESPONSE: Persimmon will be directing most discussion towards the north eastern part of the site. They have been looking at the views and understand that with the topography of the site, the eastern part may look separate. They will likely reduce the number of houses there, which should reduce impact on landscape and the number of people living outside 'walkable' distance of the village. |
19.30 | QUESTION: Bassetts Villas and New Bassetts Cottages are Non-Designated Heritage Sites. Are you going to change how you approach that? |
| ANSWER: Plans are likely to be amended to be 'more friendly' to both sites. |
20.30 | QUESTION: What do Persimmon propose to ensure the implementation of the health centre coming in tandem with the development? |
| RESPONSE: This is beyond Persimmon's control. Persimmon would prefer to deliver it sooner because of rising costs, but only the NHS can commission use. The NHS don't anticipate a need until the end of the decade. |
22.10 | QUESTION: Horsmonden has a dark sky rating equivalent to those of a national park. What do Persimmon propose to do about lighting? |
| RESPONSE: Lighting will be 'dramatically reduced'. Guidance from TWBC suggests that levels of lighting used in the existing built-up areas of the village can be used as a guideline. |
23.30 | QUESTION: Sustainability - how will the plans conform to Horsmonden's Sustainability Policy? |
| Persimmon say that LPG will not be used. Building regulations from 2025 will mean that they can't. Likely to be powered by Air Source Heat Pumps. Solar panels present issues with buyers because they don't provide as much power as anticipated, require maintenance and on this site would likely be rejected by the Conservation Officer because of site's position on the edge of the AONB, unless the panels faced North. |
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