This is the website page for information about the Loose Neighbourhood Plan. It is where you can find information about the existing plan and about how it is being updated to meet the future needs of the parish. Please check back here regularly for the latest news.
Background
In May 2024 Loose and North Loose merged to form a significantly larger Loose parish. In recent years, both Loose Parish Council and the North Loose Residents' Association have led their communities to deliver neighbourhood plans for their respective areas. As a result, we have two neighbourhood plans covering different parts of the parish: the North Loose Neighbourhood Plan made in 2016 and the Loose Neighbourhood Plan made in 2019. To view these plans, click on the appropriate links on this page.
What is a Neighbourhood Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is an important planning policy document adopted by the local planning authority. For Loose the relevant authority is Maidstone Borough Council (MBC). MBC uses the Loose and North Loose neighbourhood plans alongside other policy documents when it assesses planning applications.
A neighbourhood plan cannot block housing development but it can help to shape and influence it. Having a Neighbourhood plan has a financial advantage for the local community: the Parish Council receives a larger share of the financial levy (known as the Community Infrastructure Levy or CIL) which is paid to the planning authority by developers. The entitlement increases from 15% (for areas with no neighbourhood plan) to 25% for areas with an agreed plan.
Updating the Neighbourhood Plan
Both the Loose and the North Loose neighbourhood plans are a few years old. In view of the passing of time, the evolution of Maidstone's own Local Plan and the increase in the Loose population and area, Loose Parish Council is reviewing the content of the plans.
Whilst the two plans share some common themes, they also contain some policies that are specific to certain locations in the parish. The current Loose neighbourhood plan has three main policy areas: Access and Movement, Landscape Protection, Design Quality. The North Loose neighbourhood plan's policy areas are: Health, Wellbeing and Transport Alternatives; Green Spaces, Sports and Recreation; Sustainable Design; Housing Development; Business and Employment.
A working group of parish councillors and residents is taking forward the review of the two neighbourhood plans. Its aims are: to ensure the content is up to date, relevant and effective; to integrate the two plans into a single one covering the whole parish; to manage the development of the new plan through the formal process laid down by planning regulations. Minutes of the working group meetings can be found below.
Current Status
In October 2024, Loose Parish Council submitted to Maidstone Borough Council an application to designate the enlarged parish as a new neighbourhood area. This is the first formal step in the process that leads to delivery of the new plan.
The map below shows the boundary of the proposed new neighbourhood area.
What happens next?
Over the coming weeks, MBC will review the Parish Council's application and issue public notices about it before reaching its formal decision. In the meantime, the working group will be pressing on with the task of reviewing the existing plans.
The work involved in creating the new plan is likely to take at least two to three years. It will involve engagement with the Loose community and stakeholders to help inform the content of the plan. It will also require periods for formal public consultation and for examination by a planning inspector. You can keep up to date with progress by regularly checking back to this website page.
Make it your Neighbourhood Plan
An effective neighbourhood plan is one developed by the community for the community. So, this is where you come in:
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We shall be organising events and opportunities for you to have your say, so please look out for news of them.
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We would welcome any help from residents who are interested in helping to shape the future of Loose. If you would like to become involved in our work, even in a small way, or if you would simply like to find out more information, then please contact the Parish Office team at office@loose-pc.gov.uk. We would love to hear from you.
