Public hearings are to begin into a major plan which will shape how Medway grows over the next 15 years.

Medway Council’s draft Local Plan sets out details of 24,540 new homes as well as employment spaces and infrastructure projects planned by 2041.

The proposals include about 690 homes on Medway City Estate, a further 2,200 homes at Chatham Docks, and 3,938 homes in the Capstone Valley.

The fate of the Local Plan will now be considered by government planning inspectors as a series of public hearings get underway next Tuesday (15 September).

Inspectors will hear evidence from Medway Council officers, developers, local political groups and community organisations to consider if the plan can go ahead.

The hearings will take place at St John’s Church in Railway Street, Chatham, until 25 September – with another fortnight of hearings scheduled in November.

Following the hearings, the inspectors will then prepare a report with a list of recommendations such as changes to the plan.

Medway Council previously stated its ambition to adopt the new Local Plan “by the end of 2026” but this is unlikely to be met.

English councils are legally required to create a Local Plan to guide future development over a 15-year period – but the last time Medway approved one was in 2003.

After two unsuccessful attempts in recent years, Medway Council submitted its new Local Plan for examination last December.

At the time, the leader of Medway Council, Cllr Vince Maple, said: “This moment has been many years in the making, and its importance for Medway today and in the future cannot be overstated.

“Community sits at the heart of the Local Plan – whether it is about houses, employment space, greenspaces, our heritage, history, culture and more – this will be the guide for how Medway can continue to be a great place for people to live, work, learn and visit – whilst ensuring we see sustainable growth, in the right places, with the right infrastructure.”

Further details about the Local Plan examination can be found on Medway Council’s website.

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