Happy New Year… and away we go again

That didn’t last long, did it! It seems like only yesterday that we were wishing you all a merry Christmas before settling into a short and wholly enjoyable break.

Well, that break is over and now, on this bright and bracing Monday, we’re back in the office and returning to the business of fighting for Kent’s countryside.

Of course, there are the usual back-to-work tasks of wading through emails (yes, they still pile up over the holiday period!), encouraging the computers to stir from their equally well-earned break, battling with the printer and so on, but in essence we’re straight back into the fray.

To give you an idea of what we’re already up to, we have just submitted comments on the Tonbridge and Malling Local Plan while looking forward to publication of Swale’s draft Local Plan on Monday next week (January 12).

There’s also the not inconsiderable job of considering the impact of the new NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework), along with a consultation on proposed reforms to the government’s statutory consultee system.

And it wouldn’t be a day of the week if we weren’t getting stuck into the continuing examination of National Grid’s application for a Development Consent Order allowing it to progress its environmentally damaging Sea Link scheme in east Kent. Our response to written questions is due to be submitted on Friday, while we’re also preparing for issue specific hearings at the end of month.

We might just need a drink after all of this… but not until February, of course!