Proposed Submission: Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy

5.2.3 This policy sets out the approach the Council will adopt in relation to themain town centre uses, except office development which is addressedseparately under policy CS07 on Economy, Employment and Skills, and arts,culture and tourism development under policy CS09 on Culture and Tourism.5.2.4 The NPPF states that planning policies should be positive and promotea competitive town centre lying at the heart of the local community. The needfor retail, leisure, office and other main town centre uses over the plan periodshould be met in full and should not be compromised by limited siteavailability. Below the town centre, the advice is to plan for the managementand growth of a resilient network and hierarchy of local centres. The NPPFrequires that a sequential test be applied. Large developments are required toundertake an impact assessment and the NPPF instructs local planningauthorities to refuse planning applications that fail to satisfy the sequential testor are likely to have a significant adverse impact on one or more of the abovefactors.The hierarchy and role of centres in Gravesham5.2.5 In Gravesham, priority will be given to Gravesend Town Centre as thepreferred location for new retail, leisure, entertainment facilities, and the moreintensive sport and recreation uses. The focus on Gravesend Town Centre isset in the context of the sub-regional hierarchy of centres contained in theSouth East Plan (2009). This establishes the role of Chatham (also a centrefor significant change) and Maidstone as Primary Regional Centres.Gravesend and Dartford are Secondary Regional Centres. Bluewater istreated separately as a specialist comparison Regional Shopping Centre,located out-of-centre and not forming part of the hierarchy of traditional towncentres. This status is confirmed in the Dartford Core Strategy 2011.5.2.6 The South East Plan reflects the existing outline planning permission forEbbsfleet, in allowing for the creation of new local centres, at SpringheadQuarter and Northfleet Rise in Gravesham, which provides supporting retail,leisure and service functions to meet the needs of the resident and daytimepopulation. It remains unclear what form or scale this will ultimately takebecause the retail element will be subject to impact assessment. On-going122