Proposed Submission: Gravesham Local Plan Core Strategy

4.3.7 The opportunity areas all lie within areas where there is a potential riskof flooding which is a major constraint on the type and form of developmentthat can be accommodated. Policy CS18 on Climate Change sets out therelevant requirements for developments in areas at risk of flooding and therequirements in relation to surface water run-off and Sustainable DrainageSystems (SUDs).4.3.8 On all the key sites, the scale of development will be such thatdevelopments should take the opportunity to deliver carbon reduction,renewable energy and water efficiency measures in accordance with PolicyCS18 on Climate Change.4.3.9 The opportunity areas all contain heritage interest including listedbuildings, conservation areas, and scheduled monuments. These are referredto where relevant in the background text to the policies. It is important that thedevelopment of the key sites ensures that the heritage features arepreserved, or enhanced and interpreted in accordance with Policy CS20 onHeritage and the Historic Environment will apply.4.3.10 Three of the opportunity areas are located alongside the River Thamesand there are specific issues which apply to them. Within these areas, therewill be a need to:• Maintain, improve and replace tidal flood defences in line with theevolving Thames Estuary 2100 plan (see Policy CS18 on ClimateChange);• Facilitate the creation of a high quality, dedicated pedestrian and cyclelink alongside the River Thames, as part of the proposed ThamesEstuary Path, or, where this is not possible due to the nature ofriverside activity, as close as possible to it (see Policy CS12 on GreenInfrastructure and Policy CS11 on Transport); and• Safeguard wharves, except where this would be detrimental toachieving the key regeneration objectives of the key sites (see PolicyCS07 on Economy, Employment and Skills, and CS11 on Transport).55