TUNBRIDGE WELLS BOROUGH COUNCIL
Councillor Barry Noakes
Chairman of the Local Plan Working Party
Church House, High Street
Goudhurst, Kent TN17 1AJ

Date: 10 April 2002

Dear Mrs Topliss

Local Plan Deposit Copy - Policy H6(a)

Thank you for your letter of 6th April and the copy of your letter to Cllr. Mrs Paulson-Ellis.

On the assumption that representations have been made by several parties on the content of policy H6(a), it will of course be re-visited as part of the Local Plan process. It is, however, not likely that this will happen until after the coming Borough elections on May 2nd and indeed after the Annual General Meeting of Council which is scheduled to take place on May 21st.

I think it is unlikely that such re-visiting will lead to the total removal of the policy, nor indeed would that be in the best interests of your group. It could, however, lead to some modifications, but please be aware that such modifications have to be set within the framework of current government policy and within KCC highways policy and that the local Plan process has been set a task of achieving a certain number of housing units which should comprise a certain range of sizes.

I am pleased to note that it is intended that there will be dialogue between yourselves and the new owners. If an early understanding can be reached between the site owners, you and the planning staff, guided by members, then it is possible that an approval could be achieved for a mutually acceptable scheme before the Local Plan makes much more progress.

Yours sincerely
C. B. Noakes

cc. Cllrs. Mrs Paulson-Ellis, Scholes

12.04.2002 - Back to Notes of the Meeting with CALA Homes (South), CALA Group Ltd acquired the controversial planning permission for the high density development of Telephone House site, Tunbridge Wells

Bizarrely, Policy H6(a) allocated for Telephone House was identical to the two refused planning applications for the Telephone House development. [1st: refused at delegated officers' level - 2nd: refused by the Councillors of the Western Area Planning Committee]. Policy H6(a) is the most controversial document, produced by the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, leading to the Telephone House Debacle.