Loose Neighbourhood Plan

We helped prepare a neighbourhood plan for Loose Parish Council. The process involved consultation with the local community and the development of landscape protection policies and local design guidance.

In October 2014, we ran a successful three day design forum with residents and businesses. During the 72 hours, our team developed new ideas for traffic management, for the location of new community facilities. Between 2015 and 2018, the work was refined further when a draft set of planning policies was published for local consultation. The plan went through a successful independent examination in March 2019 and finally passed referendum in August 2019.

The examiner’s report concluded: “It is clear that the Loose Neighbourhood Plan is the product of much hard work since 2014 by the Parish Council, the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group and the many individuals and stakeholders who have contributed to the development of the Plan. There is no doubt in my view that the Plan reflects the aspirations and objectives of the Loose community for the future development of their community up to 2031. The output is a Plan which should help guide the Parish’s development over that period in a positive way and it should inform good decision-making on planning applications by Maidstone Borough Council”

The final plan was approved at referendum in August 2019 with an 94% yes vote on a turnout of 22%.