Committee advised to reject plan

Controversial plans to build 370 homes off the A28 have been recommended for refusal by city planners.

HNC Developments LLP wants to build the new houses on the former Chislet Colliery site in Hersden with an ecology park, a small convenience store and a new access roundabout off Island Road.

But the proposals have been met with opposition from a number of organisations, including the parish councils for Sturry and Westbere, both of which have objected to the size of the development and the potential impact on the road network.

Canterbury City Council’s plan- ning committee will make a decision on the application on Tuesday, with officers recommending they refuse the development.

In the report due to be discussed, city planners argue that land has already been allocated in the Local Plan to accommodate 800 new homes in Hersden in the future and that Chislet Colliery does not form part of this.

They also point out that there are no sufficient benefits of the development that outweigh the harm it would cause, including the visual impact on the landscape, the impact on heritage assets and the failure to demonstrate adequate mitigation for the impact on air quality.

The meeting is at The Guildhall on Tuesday, December 5, at 6.30pm.

Chislet Colliery in the 1920s