Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2024 to 2039
We submitted the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2024 to 2039 to the Secretary of State for independent examination on 17 May 2024. The new local plan will guide minerals and waste management development decisions in Kent until at least 2039 and will be used for the determination of planning applications in the county.
This page will provide updates on the Local Plan Examination.
Planning Inspector
Inspector Joanne Burston BSc MA MRTPI AIPROW from the Planning Inspectorate has been appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the independent examination of the Kent Minerals and Waste Plan 2024 to 2039. The Inspector’s task is to consider the soundness of the submitted plan and whether it has been prepared in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements.
The Inspector will consider the comments made at the Regulation 19/20 stage and will identify various matters, issues and questions to consider as part of the examination.
Planning Inspectorate’s procedural guide for local plan examinations
The Planning Inspectorate have produced a procedural guide aimed at all those involved in the process and concerned with the procedural aspects of examining a local plan.
Planning Inspectorate’s short guide on taking part in examinations
The Planning Inspectorate have produced a short guide aimed at those who might be participating in a local plan examination for the first time.
Programme Officer
Louise St John Howe has been appointed as Programme Officer to organise and administer the examination, including organisation of the public hearing sessions and dealing with all procedural matters. The Programme Officer is independent from KCC and reports to the appointed examination inspector.
Contact details
All queries relating to the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan examination should be sent to the Programme Officer using the following details:
- email: louise@poservices.co.uk
- phone: 07789 486419
- write to PO Box 10965, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 3BF.
11 December 2024
The responses received to the Main Modifications consultation are now available and can be viewed on the Main Modifications tab.
8 November 2024
The Council has submitted an updated Kent Minerals and Waste Local Development Scheme, and this can be viewed in the examination documents at ED35 (PDF, 2.3 MB).
17 October 2024
The council’s consultation on the proposed Main Modifications to the Kent County Council Minerals and Waste Local Plan opened on Thursday 17 October and closes at midnight on Thursday 28 November. Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.
1 October 2024
A Statement of Common Ground between Kent County Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has been submitted and can be viewed at ED32 (PDF, 801.3 KB) in the Examination documents.
5 September 2024
The Inspector’s agendas for the hearing sessions can be viewed under the Hearing Sessions section.
Please see ED19 and ED20 in the Examination documents for the correspondence between the Council and the Environment Agency on Policy CSM 10.
3 September 2024
The Council have written to the Inspector formally requesting her to recommend any Main Modifications that may be required to the Local Plan. Their letter can be viewed at ED18 (PDF, 569.2 KB) in the Examination documents.
21 August 2024
Following the deadline for hearing statements, the statements are now available to read.
19 August 2024
The details of the participants for each of the hearing sessions are now available. View the hearing sessions programme participants (002) 19 August 2024.
1 August 2024
The Council’s reply to the Inspector’s Initial Questions are now available at ED9 (PDF, 1.1 MB) and ED9A (PDF, 1003.0 KB) in the examination documents, together with four Statements of Common Ground between Kent County Council (KCC) and the following parties:-
- ED10 KCC and Maidstone Borough Council (PDF, 800.2 KB)
- ED11 KCC and Medway Council (PDF, 1.2 MB)
- ED12 KCC and Sevenoaks District Council (PDF, 782.0 KB)
- ED13 KCC and Surrey County Council (PDF, 1.1 MB).
26 July 2024
The hearing sessions have now been arranged to take place in early September and will open at 9:30am on Tuesday 10 September 2024. Find out more about the hearing sessions.
11 July 2024
The inspector has written to the council with some initial questions and her letter (ED4) can be viewed in the examination documents table.
18 June 2024
The council’s Soundness Checklist and Legal Compliance Checklists of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2024 to 2039 have been uploaded to the examination documents table, with the reference numbers ED2 and ED3.
13 June 2024
Inspector Joanne Burston BSc MA MRTPI AIPROW has been appointed by the Secretary of State to carry out the independent examination of the Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2024 to 2039.
17 May 2024
The Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2024 to 2039 was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination.
Correspondence and documents from the inspector, council and representers following submission of the Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
View the full list of evidence base documents that support the KCC Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
- Submission documents
- Evidence base
- Background documents
Reference Date published Author Title Date uploaded BD01 September 2020 Kent County Council Kent Minerals and Waste Local Plan 2013-30 as amended by the Early Partial Review (PDF, 7.2 MB) May 2024 BD02 September 2021 Kent County Council Report of the 5 Year Review of the Kent Minerals Waste Local Plan (PDF, 2.1 MB) May 2024 BD03 December 2023 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities National Planning Policy Framework May 2024 BD04 October 2014 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities National Planning Policy for Waste May 2024 BD05 January 2021 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Agency Waste Management Plan for England May 2024 BD06 2018 Kent County Council Kent Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (PDF, 269.1 KB) May 2024 BD07 July 2017 Kent County Council Kent Waste Disposal Strategy 2017-2035 (PDF, 632.3 KB) May 2024 BD08 June 2020 Kent County Council Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy (PDF, 512.4 KB) May 2024 BD09 2017 Kent County Council Local Transport Plan 4: Delivering Growth without Gridlock (PDF, 2.8 MB) May 2024 BD10 2017 Kent County Council Freight Action Plan for Kent (PDF, 846.7 KB) May 2024 BD11 2013 Gov.uk The Regional Strategy for the South East (Partial Revocation) Order 2013 May 2024 BD12 December 2015 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Agency Thames River Basin District River Basin Management Plan May 2024 BD13 December 2015 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Environment Agency South East River Basin District River Basin Management Plan May 2024 BD14 December 2015 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Guidance for LPAs on implementing requirements of the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC) May 2024 BD15 May 2011 Kent County Council and Medway Council Kent and Medway Mineral Imports Study (PDF, 4.0 MB) May 2024 BD16 March 2010 GWP Consultants Silica Sand Report for KCC and Surrey County Council May 2024 BD17 July 2020 Kent County Council Strategic Commissioning Statistical Bulletin May 2024 BD18 March 2021 South East Local Enterprise Partnership South East Local Enterprise Partnership - Strategic Economic Plan May 2024 BD19 2000 Gov.uk Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 May 2024 BD20 December 2023 Kent Analytics
Kent County CouncilKent Statistical Bulletin 2023, 2021 Mid-year population estimates (PDF, 252.1 KB) May 2024 BD21 2018 Kent County Council Kent and Medway Growth and Infrastructure Framework 2018 update
(PDF, 8.7 MB)May 2024 BD22 November 2010 HM Treasury National Infrastructure Strategy May 2024 BD23 September 2013 Kent County Council Interchangeability of Construction Aggregates May 2024 BD24 2020 Gov.uk The Waste (Circular Economy) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 May 2024 BD25 2021 Gov.uk Environment Act 2021 May 2024 BD26 2023 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 May 2024 BD27 March 2021 Greater London Authority The London Plan (Spatial Development Strategy for Central London) May 2024 BD28 2008 European Parliament Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the council - 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives May 2024 BD29 June 2008 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and the devolved administrations for Wales and Northern Ireland Managing Radioactive Waste Safely: A framework for Implementing Geological Disposal - June 2008 May 2024 BD30 March 2012 Department of Energy and Climate Change, Department for Education, Welsh Government and Scottish Government Strategy for the management of solid low level radioactive waste from the non-nuclear industry in the UK: part 1 - anthropogenic radionuclide May 2024 BD31 September 2011 Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and Environment Agency Radioactive Substances Act 1993 - Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 May 2024 BD32 March 2021 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Nuclear Decommissioning Authority Strategy May 2024 BD33 March 2016 Kent County Council Kent Environment Strategy
(PDF, 1.5 MB)May 2024 BD34 2017 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Changes to the Habitats Regulations 2017 May 2024 BD35 June 2013 Barton Willmore KMWLP 2013-2030 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment May 2024 BD36 2018 Kent County Council Kent County Council’s Right of Way Improvement Plan 2018-2028 (PDF, 4.9 MB) May 2024
The hearing sessions of the Examination of the Kent County Council Minerals and Waste Local Plan opened at 9:30am on Tuesday 10 September 2024.
The first week of the hearing sessions were held in-person in The Old Restaurant, County Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ. The second week of hearing sessions were held virtually.
Hearing sessions dates:
- Tuesday 10 September to Thursday 12 September inclusive.
- Tuesday 17 September (virtual session).
Venue for in-person sessions:
- The Old Restaurant, County Hall, Maidstone, ME14 1XQ.
Current hearing sessions programme and participants
- Hearing session programme and participants (004) (PDF, 101.9 KB) - 6 September 2024
- Daily participants’ list (PDF, 150.4 KB) - 6 September 2024
Agenda for hearing sessions
- Tuesday 10 September AM and PM sessions (PDF, 64.3 KB).
- Wednesday 11 September AM and PM sessions (PDF, 64.5 KB).
- Thursday 12 September AM and PM sessions (PDF, 66.6 KB).
Hearing statements
View details of the hearing statements.
For the more information including details on attendance and participation at the hearing sessions, the inspector has published the following documents:
Following the deadline for hearing statements, read details of the submitted statements.
County council hearing statement - matters 1 to 9 and other matters (PDF, 1.6 MB)
| Session | Representor ID | Representor | Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matter 1: Legal compliance | LP41 | Borough Green Sand Pits Ltd (PDF, 570.1 KB) | Invicta Planning |
| Matter 2: Introduction, spatial portrait, spatial vision and objectives | LP41 | Borough Green Sand Pits Ltd (PDF, 554.2 KB) | Invicta Planning |
| LP20 | Maidstone Green Party (PDF, 174.8 KB) | - | |
| Matter 3: Delivery strategy for minerals | LP41 | Borough Green Sand Pits Ltd (PDF, 562.9 KB) | Invicta Planning |
| LP20 | Maidstone Green Party (PDF, 174.8 KB) | - | |
| Matter 4: Protecting mineral resources, infrastructure and facilities, and transport | LP20 | Maidstone Green Party (PDF, 174.8 KB) | - |
| LP45/46 | Tarmac Cement Ltd (PDF, 500.6 KB) | David Lock | |
| Matter 5: Use of secondary and recycled aggregates | - | No hearing statements submitted by representors | - |
| Matter 6: Minerals and other aggregates | LP18 | Environment Agency (PDF, 639.8 KB) | KSL Planning and Environment Agency |
| LP20 | Maidstone Green Party (PDF, 174.8 KB) | - | |
| Matter 7: Delivery strategy for waste | LP18 | Environment Agency (PDF, 639.8 KB) | KSL Planning and Environment Agency |
| LP24 | Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Nuclear Restoration Services (PDF, 506.8 KB) | Avision Young | |
| Matter 8: Development management policies | LP18 | Environment Agency (PDF, 639.8 KB) | KSL Planning and Environment Agency |
| LP55 | Kent Downs National Landscape (previously known as Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)) (PDF, 516.9 KB) | - | |
| LP20 | Maidstone Green Party (PDF, 174.8 KB) | - | |
| Matter 9: Delivery, implementation and monitoring | - | No hearing statements submitted by representors | - |
Following the close of the public hearing sessions for the Examination of the Kent County Council Minerals and Waste Local Plan in September 2024, the Inspector recommended a number of Main Modifications in order to make the Local Plan sound.
The Council held a public consultation on the Schedule of Main Modifications to the Local Plan (ED33) (PDF, 400.7 KB), which ran from Thursday 17 October to midnight on Thursday 28 November 2024.
The Inspector has received copies of all the responses received. These can be viewed below, together with the schedule of responses to the consultation with the Council’s comments on the points raised.
- ED38 Schedule of responses to the Main Modifications consultation and Council’s comments on points raised (XLSX, 32.9 KB).
- ED37 Natural England Addendum to response to Main Modifications (PDF, 563.1 KB).