Transcript Document

Kent Developers Group
Housing, Planning and Growth Event
11th November 2014
Presentation in conjunction with
KPOG, KHG and Design South-East
Kent Developers Group.
Nick Fenton, Chairman, Kent Developers
Group
Kent Developers Group
• Established in 1997 by Locate in Kent, supported
by KCC.
• Originally a commercial property led organisation
• Formed to establish quality development in Kent
• A group of like minded individuals, committed to
making a difference in Kent
• Also here to Help, giving advice to KCC, the
Boroughs, other stakeholders - not setting more
regulation
Kent Developers Group
• Kent Developers Group (KDG) is a unique association of 20 owners and
developers of the main commercial, housing and regeneration sites in
Kent and Medway.
•Here to encourage an effective working relationship between the private
and public sectors, aiming to remove barriers to growth and bring about
deliverable development and a functional property market.
 Working with KCC, KHG, KPOG, Design South East and the LEP to deliver
future prosperity to Kent, promoting a close and trusting working
environment.
 Addressing strategic issues across Kent and Medway and influencing major
public sector organisations such as DCLG, the Highways Agency, the
Environment Agency and Natural England.
 Addressing key issues across Kent and Medway that restrict and hinder
OUR growth ambitions
KDG Members
KDG Associate Members
Kent Developers Group
Kent people who know
what Kent is all about
The Housing industry – How are we
doing?
• There is a housing crisis, worst since the Second
World War
• 100,000 Homes are required across the South
East by 2021, almost twice our current delivery
rate.
• Delivery fell dramatically through the recession
• Projections show a recovery but are the numbers
deliverable?
Commercial Development
• We need more jobs, places for people to work
• We need Kent to thrive, make it prosperous
• Speculative commercial development dried up
through the recession, three speculative commercial
developers in Kent
• Occupiers are required up front, but few companies
coming into Kent
• Need encouragement, not barriers
Time for change
• We have to deliver
• We have to deliver in a controlled and planned way
• We have to start to trust each other, work together
to deliver
• Developers need to prove that we can be trusted
• Developers need to be in the delivery team, not
outside it
• We need to show that Kent is open for business
Planned development
• We need planned, properly thought out
development
• Quality Developments
• Delivering what the community needs
• Proper consultation and dialogue
• Leadership, an understanding that this is our
problem, the communities’ problem too
• Do appeal decisions reflect a communities
requirements?
Politics!
• Yes, we need houses, but:– Not here, there is no requirement here
– I don’t want them to be seen or spoil my view, put
them in the towns
– Definitely no ‘social’
– They cannot afford it round here anyway
– Too many parking spaces, they can use public
transport
Politics!
• By the way, it is disgusting my daughter
cannot afford a house:– I want her to be close, don’t want her very far
away
– I want her to have a nice house, plenty of space to
park my car
– I like this plot, l could get another house in there
– It needs to be cheap, it will go up quickly after all
– Affordability is an issue for my Daughter, any
affordable houses?
How can we deliver?
Community involvement
• Development needs to involve the community
• It should be planned to be an improvement to the
community
• They need to be part of the plan or at least be
involved – leadership is key
• They need to see the benefits that they can achieve
– Provide housing for young people
– Specialist Housing, including the elderly
• Adversarial relationships do not work
Development impediments
• Enough things make development difficult and costly
– Delays to the planning process
– Ecology, Archaeology
– Infrastructure delivery
– Utility companies
– Viability, especially East and South Kent and in
areas of Maidstone
• Lets not add to this locally
Future plans
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Garden cities, large allocations
Large Commercial proposals
Bigger sites, local plans
Sites in planning, ready to go
Small developers
Smaller developer
• Before recession, 50% of the homes in Kent
were produced by small developers
• Now, more like 30%, maybe less
• They have all the same issues as multi nationals,
maybe more
• But lack the resources, clout and finance
• They can quickly deliver
Challenges ahead
• Planning process needs to be slicker
• Pre-application consultation needs to be
effective, maintaining quality
• Leadership is required from all if we are to
deliver
• Work closely with the Ology’s to reduce their
impact
• Get everyone in the tent, this is OUR problem,
ownership is required
How can we help?
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Offer advice
Interact with KPOG, KCC, the LA’s
Ensure they all understand the issues
Remove the constraints, barriers
Make East Kent just as attractive
Help you deliver
Help provide the development, homes and
jobs, that Kent deserves
Thank You