Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Arts centre ‘will obliterate our views of Cathedral’
An £11 million arts centre set to be built at Christ Church university has been branded “alien to Canterbury” by neighbours.
Opponents are urging bosses to go back to the drawing board after complaining the design and scale of the building would destroy historic views of the Cathedral.
The university says the new arts centre will be a “striking exemplar and contemporary building”, reflecting and celebrating the heritage of the site.
But the boast has not impressed David Jones, who is spokesman for a protest group formed by residents in Havelock Street and North Holmes Road.
“I really think this has slipped under the radar because what we are looking at is a domineering, bulky five-storey-high building, considerably bigger than those around it, which will obliterate views of the Cathedral,” said the psychotherapist, who lives in Havelock Street.
In its application, Christ Church says the design will “reinforce the heritage value of the character area” and “have a direct, permanent, minor beneficial effect on the townscape character of Northgate”.
But Mr Jones says the protest group strongly disagrees with the claim.
“Our view is that the bulk, height and design of the building offers no additional value to the townscape and is alien to Canterbury,” he said.
“It removes a car park within the buffer zone and conservation area, which currently offers a fine view of the Cathedral, to impose an oversized building which obscures it, dominates its local surroundings and offers nothing architecturally to enhance the medieval or Victorian aspects of the area.
He calls it “excessively overbearing and gloomy” and complains that those most affected by the development were the last to be consulted.
“It appears that the strategy has been to avoid those most affected until the last minute and doing so only when they were required to, through the public exhibition in mid-november,” he said.
Other residents to complain include Phil Poole, of Havelock Street, who said: “Stand in North Holmes Road at the entrance to gate one of Christ Church on any evening at dusk and look towards the Cathedral, and then tell me that this is not a heritage view worth saving.”
Another objector, Caroline Moore, said: “There has been a long-standing understanding between the university and the council to keep new developments on the North Holmes Road site as low as possible, so as not to intrude on views of the Cathedral in a sensitive heritage area.
“But this new building will be the highest in the last 30 years by far.”
To view and comment on the plans, go to the planning portal at www.canterbury. gov.uk and search application CA//17/00188.