Planning policy

Analytically Driven Ltd Director, Dr Rebecca Driver, actively contributes to the debate on planning policy at a neighbourhood, local and a national level.

For example, Dr Driver has been working with Headcorn Parish Council and the Joint Parishes Group in Maidstone Borough to influence Maidstone's emerging Local Plan, giving evidence at six of Maidstone's Local Plan examination hearings. This work has included producing assessments of Maidstone's objectively assessed housing need, employment projections, Sustainability Appraisal, infrastructure needs and the sustainability of Maidstone's spatial strategy. An example of this evidence, covering Maidstone's employment land policy, can be found here.

Analytically Driven works with Neighbourhood Plan groups to help support their evidence needs and Dr Driver's work with Headcorn Parish Council on gathering evidence to support their Neighbourhood Plan has been used as a Case Study by Planning Aid to help other group understand how to undertake surveys to underpin their Neighbourhood Plans. Her work with Headcorn included producing an assessment of the sustainability of housing development in Headcorn, as well as support for their policy development.

Dr Driver submitted evidence to the Communities and Local Government Committee on the interaction between Neighbourhood Plans and the National Planning Policy Framework, and attended a Discussion Forum in September 2014 to discuss the issues she raised with Committee Members.