Kentish Express Ashford & District
Plans for ‘new town’ amended
Amended plans have been submitted for a new ‘garden town’ near Ashford.
Developer Otterpool Park LLP wants to build 8,500 homes on and around Folkestone’s former racecourse, potentially increasing to 10,000 in future phases.
The major new scheme will be one of the largest new communities in the country and is expected to deliver more than 9,000 jobs over 25 to 30 years.
Outline planning permission was submitted in 2019 for the ambitious project, which is backed by Folkestone and Hythe District Council.
Following consultation, amended plans have been put forward although a majority of elements remain unchanged.
Amendments to the ‘red line’ boundary incorporate Westenhanger Castle - which FHDC purchased in 2019 - into the site and additional areas of land for a possible wastewater facility and a new highway junction at Newingreen Junction.
Some of the amendments made to the application will help with the delivery of the development across the long-term, and allow for further consultation on detailed planning and design.
New survey work and a number of additional documents have been submitted in support of the planning application, including strategies on green infrastructure, heritage, transport and mobility.
Director of planning Andy Jarrett said: “Submitting our final proposals marks a significant milestone for the project.
“Extensive work has gone into amending the outline planning application to incorporate feedback and present a proposal that will address local housing needs, deliver substantial infrastructure improvements and create direct opportunities for the area,
as well as being able to respond to changing and growing needs in the future.”
If approved, Otterpool Park will include new schools, green spaces, health centres, retail and leisure facilities and have its own town centre.
About 1,870 of homes on the 2,000-acre site will be affordable and more than 400 will be selfbuilds.
FHDC is behind the project and has already invested millions of pounds. This includes purchasing the land at the racecourse, which closed in 2012, for
£25 million.
The authority also purchased Westenhanger Castle for £2.9m, set to become the ‘centrepiece’ of the scheme and spent £5m buying 357 acres of farmland south east of the racecourse in 2015.
In November 2019, FHDC approved a £100m loan to allow the first stages of Otterpool to proceed. The Otterpool Park LLP was also established to ‘drive’ the scheme forward.
The development has received much opposition since it was first announced in 2016.