Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Eco-village snub appealed
The father-and-son developers behind plans to build a carbon-neutral eco-village in Canterbury are bidding to overturn the local authority’s controversial decision to reject the proposals.
Ralph and Alistair Noel last year applied to erect 19 two-bedroom houses in Goose Farm, Broad Oak.
The number of homes was later reduced to 17 amid fears the one-acre site would not be large enough.
Despite this, the scheme was thrown out by Canterbury City Council’s planning committee in July.
But now the Noels are preparing to appeal the decision to the Planning Inspectorate in the hope of forcing through the proposals. “Obviously, we’re upset that it wasn’t granted,” Alistair explained.
“I genuinely believed the people of Canterbury wanted it. Our issue was the council considered the site to be over-massed. “We still want to produce something that’s eco-friendly to prove that it can be done. “Hopefully it’ll set a standard and show the benefits of such a development.”
The homes at the Shalloak Road site would have been equipped with rainwater recycling systems, ground-source heating and solar panels. The Noels previously told the Gazette they expect the properties to range in price from £350,000 to £400,000 and that they hoped to introduce an electric car sharing scheme for those living on the development. But following the committee’s decision in the summer the pair say they contemplated scrapping the carbon-neutral plans. “We were originally thinking about removing the eco credentials completely and just going in for nine or 10 four- or five-bed houses,” Alistair added. “But after consultation with the parish council, the landowner is still keen to push ahead with the two- and three-bedroom homes.” Alistair expects the Planning Inspectorate to come to a decision up to a year after the appeal is lodged.
He also says a second application for the site will be submitted to the local authority. “We will be launching another application,” Alistair said. “But we are not sure whether they will be bigger or smaller units. They will potentially be eco - we will look at what’s viable.”
The local authority declined to comment on the appeal. n What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup. co.uk.