The Tenterden and Rural Sites Development Plan Document (DPD) is one of the key documents of the Ashford Local Development Framework (LDF) and covers the period up to 2021. Its principal role is to allocate land for residential development in a range of suitable rural settlements. The Plan also includes several topic policies, relevant to rural planning issues. The document and representation forms are also available to view in hard copy at a number of deposit points across the Borough. Hard copies of the document can also be purchased by calling 01233 330229. Please view the ABC website for more information.

The Sustainable Communities Act is possibly the most radical new law that our country has seen in over a century. This is because it establishes, for the first time in our nation’s history, a new ‘bottom up’ process where councils are in the driving seat on what government does locally. The potential of the Act for councils is huge - councils can use it to do things like; 

• gain new powers

• devolve existing powers and money from central control to local control

• change the planning rules

• reduce centrally imposed duties.

The Act sets up a process, by which councils can put proposals to government for new action and assistance. But before your  Parish Council and your community can use this Act, your principal council must decide to use it too.  Unfortunately Kent is one of the few counties in England where no principal councils have opted to use the Act. The deadline for proposals to be submitted of 31st July 2009  is fast approaching, but it is not too late for the Act to be a success in Kent. You can help make this happen, so please do the following….

ACTION – please do the following

1. Please write to your Principal councillors urging them to ‘Please resolve to use the Sustainable Communities Act by submitting proposals by 31st July 2009’. This will only take a few minutes. I have attached a sample letter which you can use.

2. Please urge people in your Parish to write to their Principal councillors too. The more letters councillors receive the better!