The Planning & Business Development Cabinet Committee of Gravesham Borough Council met on Monday, 22 September 2025, to discuss business development, economic strategy, tree preservation, partnerships and corporate performance. The meeting was scheduled to include presentations on business development and economic strategy, and to review the corporate register of partnerships and the corporate performance for the first quarter of 2025-26.

Economic Development, Industrial, Jobs and Skills Strategy

The Planning & Business Development Cabinet Committee were scheduled to receive a presentation on the draft outline of the Economic Development, Industrial, Jobs and Skills Strategy. No further information about this presentation was available in the report pack.

Corporate Performance Update

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Corporate Performance Update for the first quarter of 2025-26. The report pack included an appendix providing an overview of the council's performance against the Corporate Plan for the period April to June 2025.

The report stated that the council had adopted its Corporate Plan for 2023-27 in October 2023, establishing the authority's ambition for the borough, complete with a suite of corporate objectives and supporting policy commitments. The plan includes a Performance Management Framework (PMF) that forms the basis of reporting corporate performance to members and residents.

The report included updates on the following policy commitments:

• Energised economy: attract new investment to deliver a more balanced local economy and provide a platform for sustainable growth, supporting existing companies and inspiring new business start-ups.
  • The Employment Land & Workspace Assessment is scoping opportunities for employment and workspace within the Borough. A 'Call for Employment Sites' was launched on 12 September and concluded at the end of October, with over 30 submissions received. The sites have been scored against deliverability criteria (planning and commercial factors). The report stated that there was evidence to suggest strong underlying demand for commercial space (especially industrial and flexible space for creative, digital and other sectors) compared with a limited supply of business accommodation over the Plan period. The next step was to agree key outcomes from the work and how this should impact the Local Plan in terms of cross-cutting employment policies and ensuring the future supply of sites and premises to underpin objectives for a revitalized local economy. Locations that could support new employment sites are being reviewed by Planning colleagues, in dialogue with economic development. A small number of potential site allocations will be reviewed through the Local Plan process, alongside draft employment policies to address non-traditional employment uses such as the visitor economy and leisure sectors, with specific policies to begin development in the following quarter (Q2).

• Skills offer: upgrade Gravesham's employment profile by championing a one stop service, proactively connecting industry with key partner agencies, schools, colleges, and training providers.

  • The objective of the Group Training pilot feasibility – North Kent is to grow the number of high-quality training and job opportunities in construction-engineering-manufacturing SMEs, and to train local people for higher skill, higher pay roles. The underlying goal of the Group Training pilot is to create NEW training and job opportunities for local people, especially school leavers by brokering improved training delivery by providers. Aims include:

    i) High quality training leading directly to employment with local employers

    ii) Boosting Apprenticeship take up - in sectors that will help to grow the local economy

    iii) Collaboration between smaller employers (that predominate in Gravesham), who lack dedicated training departments and would benefit from pooling their training and recruitment needs with other local employers with comparable skills needs.

    iv) Brokering high quality training that leads to real competence, not just a qualification

    v) Contributing to improved links between employers and schools, training providers, the Job Centre, community and youth-facing organisations

    vi) Retaining young people and employers within the local economy

    vii) Improved social mobility and higher local wages

    The report stated that the Government's new Modern Industrial Strategy and Skills England's emphasis on creating new pathways into Apprenticeships, creates a supportive policy context within which to develop local infrastructure to boost the availability of skills and the social mobility associated with this. Initial steps for taking forward Group Training, have included:

    • Publication of a Market Assessment report undertaken by Technical Professional Education Ltd, which sets out demand for skills across Construction, Engineering and (Advanced) Manufacturing sectors and the supply of training provision (public/private) to meet this need (incl. gaps).

• Sustainable development: deliver positive development management, framed by a sound Local Plan that enhances our unique natural and built environment.

  • No major applications were determined in Q1 of 2025/26.
  • All minor planning applications determined in Q1 of 2025/26, were determined on time (either within the statutory time frames or within agreed extensions of time).
  • All other planning applications determined in Q1 of 2025/26, were determined on time (either within the statutory time frames or within agreed extensions of time).
  • The performance indicator for enforcement has been revised to reflect all enforcement cases closed during a quarter. This includes notices served, cases closed through removal of a breach of planning control prior to a formal notice being served, cases closed through the submission of a retrospective planning application that has been approved by the Council and cases closed where it was deemed expedient to not take formal enforcement action.

• Ambitious building: tackle the housing challenge by developing a diverse build programme that increases the supply of high-standard and energy-efficient market and affordable housing.

  • 20 net additional homes were delivered in the Borough during Q1 of 2025-26. The Council continues to bring forward new housing development via direct delivery and partner delivery e.g. Land At Worcester Close, Istead Rise (by the Council's Housing Strategy & Development team), the Charter (with Rosherville Ltd - the council's wholly owned company) and Milton Place (the first project brought forward by Gravesham Community Investment Partnership).
  • The Development team have been project managing the Council's on site projects. The St Columba's Close project to deliver 46 new affordable homes has progressed to roof level. For the 8 flats at Worcester Close, Istead Rise the ground works and utility connections have been completed with foundations and floor structures in place ready for the construction of the MMC panellised structures to commence in the next quarter.
  • As a partner with Hill Group in Gravesham Community Investment Partnership (GCIP) the Council have participated in the design development to address the statutory consultation responses to the Milton Place planning application due to go before Planning Committee on 30th July 2025 for which has subsequently been approved subject to a Section 106 Agreement¹. The project will deliver 61 x 1 bed flats for independent living on social rents and 15 private houses for sale.
  • The amended designs for the planning consented site at Lower Range Road, which will deliver 14 x 2 bed social rented flats, were resubmitted for a Section 73² minor material amendment which has also subsequently received approval at the Planning Committee on 30th July. Preparations have also been made to seek to procure a main contractor.
  • The team have continued to engage with Hill Group as part of GCIP on the proposals for the 8 'Solohaus' 1 bed 'pods' for the site at St Albans Close, Gravesend which if successful will provide Temporary Accommodation for residents seeking to establish themselves back into the community.
  • Work has continued on working towards a full planning application for 29 new affordable homes in Rose Avenue, Gravesend with all the required technical due diligence and design development working with specialist consultancies. Baily Garner are architects and Employers Agent.
  • The proposals to develop a large family house at Vale Road have progressed with further design development ongoing with the planning department to produce an acceptable design for the plot of land concerned.
  • Planning pre-application submissions have been made by the Council's architects for projects at three sites with a possible which could yield up to 73 new affordable homes in total should the full planning applications be successful.
  • Two small garage sites have also been worked up for full planning applications in the next quarter comprising 7 new homes in total based on previous feedback at pre-application stage.
  • Work has continued on the development pipeline (including the assessment of the garage portfolio for housing) with potential to deliver or commence over 500 new affordable homes over the next 5 years.

Corporate Register of Partnerships

The Planning & Business Development Cabinet Committee were scheduled to be informed of the council's involvement in partnerships that are within the remit of the committee. The council maintains a Corporate Register of Partnerships and Shared Working Arrangements which provides a central record of partnerships in which the council is involved. The register is available on the council website and is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Following approval of the revised Working in Partnership Framework by Full Council in April 2024, the register also includes details of officer working groups where applicable. The register provides a general overview of the partnership, along with details of the main aims and objectives of the partnership and how the joint-working approach contributes and supports the delivery of council objectives.

The partnerships and joint working arrangements that most directly relate to the work of the Planning & Business Development Cabinet Committee are as follows:

• Kent Downs National Landscape Partnership (formerly Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership) The Lead Member is Councillor Gavin Larkins, council representative on the partnership and the Responsible Officer is Shazad Ghani, Head of Planning. On 26th December 2023, a new statutory duty came into force in all National Landscapes (formerly known as AONBs). The new duty requires all relevant authorities to 'seek to further' the purpose of conserving and enhancing natural beauty of any landscape with AONB designation, such as the Kent Downs. This new legislation applies to all public and statutory bodies, and it applies to all their decisions, not just those related to planning and the environment. The expected outcomes are:

  (1) A secure and more independent Kent Downs Landscape Partnership.

  (2) A Kent Downs Landscape Partnership which is recognised as 'The Champion' for the Kent Downs National Landscape.

  (3) The delivery of a well-supported Kent Downs AONB Management Plan (to be reviewed as a result of the National Landscape designation) through partners and focussed Kent Downs National Landscape Unit led projects.

  The partnership aims to contribute to the council's corporate objectives of:

  • #oneborough a safe, clean, and attractive living environment, enhanced by a sustainable and increasingly energised local economy.
  • #onecommunity an active, engaged, and culturally enriched population, built on the foundations of an affordable and quality local housing offer.
  • #onecouncil a well-run and innovative authority, defined by its skilled and valued workforce, committed to developing its local social impact.

• South Thames Gateway Building Control Partnership (STG) The Responsible Officer is Tom Reynolds, Director (Environment) and the Lead Member is Councillor John Burden, Leader of the Executive, with Cllr Croxton as a substitute. The partnership is a non-statutory partnership that delivers a statutory function on behalf of the Council, providing a building control service in Gravesham, Medway, Swale and Canterbury Councils. The expected outcomes are set out in STG Building Control Business Plan 2025-28 and associated Delivery Plan, and the partnership aims to contribute to the council's corporate objectives of:

  • #ONE BOROUGH
  • #ONE COMMUNITY

Tree Preservation Orders and Trees in Conservation Areas

The Planning & Business Development Cabinet Committee were scheduled to receive a report on Tree Preservation Orders³ and Trees in Conservation Areas⁴. No further information about this report was available in the report pack.