Maidstone Local Plan Review Viability Assessment & CIL Review

This brief provides the background and requirements for a commission to produce a whole Local Plan Viability Assessment and CIL charging schedule review. Background Local Plan & Local Plan Review Maidstone Borough Council adopted a comprehensive Maidstone Borough Local Plan (MBLP) in October 2017. It covers the period 2011-31 and provides for an annual requirement of 883 homes, equating to 17,660 new dwellings over the 20-year plan period. It anticipates the creation of 14,400 jobs and provides for a total of 29,800sqm of retail floorspace (comparison and convenience), 110,031sqm B1/B2/B8 floorspace, and 100,000sqm medical use floorspace over the same time frame. The council is committed to an early review of the MBLP which is expected to be adopted by October 2022. The end date for the Local Plan Review (LPR) is not yet fixed but it will be 2037 at the earliest and the Council may decide to extend it further. To date the Council has undertaken a first stage of public consultation (Regulation 18a, in 2019) and is in the process of undertaking a second public consultation (Regulation 18b, 1st - 22nd December 2020). Underpinning this, the Council has developed an extensive evidence base, which can be viewed here: https://localplan.maidstone.gov.uk/home/local-plan-review