Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Appeal boost for Becket plans
Controversial plans to develop the BT site at the foot of Canterbury’s New Dover Road will be decided by a planning inspector next month – after they were thrown out by the city council.
In 2015 the authority rejected the proposal to demolish Becket House and create 120 homes without putting the application before its own planning committee – a decision the developer complains was “unjustified and unsound”.
Among the reasons given for refusal by council planners were the loss of jobs on the site, design concerns and the impact of the scheme on the heritage of the area.
Telecoms giant BT and the freeholder Telereal Trillium applied in 2014 to build 77 apartments and 43 homes and have now won their right to appeal the decision.
Planning agent GL Hearn said: “We consider the council’s reasons for refusal in this case to be unsound and unjustified.
“The proposed development represents a highly positive, beneficial regeneration of a brownfield site, which is in compliance with the relevant planning policy and guidance at national and local level.
“We request, accordingly, that the appeal be allowed and planning permission granted.”
The Oaten Hill and South Can- terbury Association is broadly supportive of the scheme, but says it has concerns over traffic – especially now that the 4,000home Mountfield Park development has been approved by the council.
Keith Rishworth, the associations’s committee member for planning, said: “We felt it was a good proposal, with some reservations, especially vehicle access being solely via Upper Chantry Lane.
“Also, since the original appli- cation was made, the city council has approved Mountfield Park and that means there will be a lot more traffic in the area.
Mr Rishworth recommended an independent traffic study.
Residents living on Ersham Road, to the rear of the BT site have called on planning officers to insist their street will not be used for vehicular access to the new scheme.
The planning inquiry starts at the Guildhall at 10am on Tuesday, June 6-.