A city expanding

More than 1,000 new homes and link road given green light

A remarkable U-turn by the city’s planning committee has this week resulted in two controversial housing developments for more than 1,000 homes being given the green light.

On Tuesday night councillors approved bids for 630 homes in Sturry and 456 on a neighbouring site in Broad Oak despite overwhelming opposition. The decision paves the way for a £29 million relief road to be built, linking Sturry Hill with both Shalloak Road and the A28 Sturry Road near Matalan.

The Sturry scheme - previously for 650 homes - had been rejected in November on seven grounds, and against the advice of planning officers who feared losing a costly appeal. But after developers dropped the total by 20 homes, and made other minor amendments, the application was brought before the planning committee again on Tuesday, alongside the Broad Oak bid, which had yet to be heard. Despite members of the public making impassioned pleas against the developments, both were voted through.

The approval will see the creation of two housing estates, a primary school, a community building, a new car park for Sturry railway station, offices, and the creation of a spine road connecting Sturry Hill with Shalloak Road.

Both developers will also have to pay £8.8 million each towards the creation of a flyover linking the spine road with Sturry Road near the Park and Ride. Refusing the plans would have put almost £6 million of funding for the £29 million relief road at risk.

It would have also likely resulted in an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, as both sites are earmarked for housing in the district’s Local Plan. In an unprecedented dressing down, council leader Ben Fitter-harding had reminded Conservative committee members of their obligation to deliver the Local Plan after the Sturry scheme was rejected in November.

This week, all but one Tory member voted for the plans, which were passed by seven votes to five, with Sturry councillor Georgina Glover abstaining. This was despite almost 150 objections from people in Sturry and Broad Oak, as well as many organisations, including Sturry Parish Council and environmental groups such as the Council for the Protection of Rural England. Changes made since the first scheme was rejected did little to appease objectors at a virtual meeting streamed over Youtube.

Resident Heather Stennett told members a proposed 15-metre buffer between the developments and ancient Den Grove woodland was “woefully inadequate”

And Roshna Amhad said

it remained a “sloppy and damaging” plan, the effects of which would last for generations.

Nick Blake, for Kent CPRE, said he was concerned that houses would be fronting onto the busy spine road through the new Sturry estate and would be dangerous to cross for residents. It is estimated 22,000 vehicles a day will use the route, which some objectors believe will cause noise and air pollution for new residents. There were also concerns about sewage and waste water disposal, which could necessitate an on-site pumping station in a 100 sq m compound because Southern Water says its existing network would not be able to cope.

Objectors say that would lead to noise and smell for residents. Another concern is lead shot contamination in the ground from the former Greenfields shooting ground, but the developer has now agreed to provide a detailed plan on how it will

be cleaned up.

Cllr Nick Eden Green (Lib Dem) said he was in favour of housing developments on the sites but stuck to his previous view that it did not meet environmental standards for the future and there was a lack of connectivity between the two developments.

But Cllr Ashley Clark (Con) - an outspoken critic in the previous hearing - said he had looked more deeply into the legal arguments for refusing the plans and had come to the conclusion they would not stand up at appeal and he would now “reluctantly” vote in favour of the developments.

A sticking point remained the absence of any affordable housing on the Sturry site, which council officers said was a necessary breach of normal requirements as it wasn’t viable for the developer because of the company’s huge contribution to the new relief road.

But Cllr Connie Nolan said it was an “absolute travesty” and “a stain on the council”.

But nobody was impressed by the three and four-storey blocks of flats planned as affordable housing in Broad Oak, which many thought would create a “ghetto” affect.

A motion to reject the Sturry element of the scheme was defeated and the plans, which are only for outline permission and will have to come back for detailed approval, were granted. The full, detailed scheme for Broad Oak’s 456 homes and outline planning for more than 800 sq m of commercial space was also granted. Numerous conditions will be attached to both developments.

While permission for a spine road through the Sturry estate has been approved, KCC has yet to submit its bid for the flyover section of the relief road, which will see a viaduct built over the River Stour, connecting Shalloak Road with the A28. What do you think? Email kentishgazette@ thekmgroup.co.uk

The plans were approved by councillors on Tuesday night

Illustrative images of the developments