Kentish Express Ashford & District
‘Ashford Shard’ on hold amid design fears
A 16-storey apartment complex dubbed the ‘Ashford Shard’ has been put on hold over design fears.
Councillors discussed the bold proposal at a virtual planning committee meeting last Wednesday night, eventually deferring the scheme so the developer can investigate a list of concerns.
These worries chiefly dealt with design, lack of affordable property and insufficient environmental considerations.
The 223-home development earmarked for construction on the former HomePlus Furniture site in Beaver Road - would see nine townhouses and two apartment blocks built as well as a rooftop restaurant, three commercial units and offices.
None of the units would be classed as affordable housing, with a contribution being sought for the off-site council purchase of such social housing.
The plan is being led by the council’s own property company, A Better Choice for Property Ltd, which bought the site from the Southern Housing Group, and would have featured one of the town’s tallest buildings if approved.
However, it wasn’t the height of the 16-storey tower block that worried councillors but the
“missed opportunity” to create a landmark structure for visitors arriving at the nearby Ashford International railway station.
Labour’s Cllr Diccon Spain, who represents the Bockhanger ward, said: “We have some not very outstanding architecture in terms of previous decades’ tall buildings and now we have a building that’ll be right next to the station, it’s the first thing people will see coming off the train and what we have - and I’m not going to hold back my words on the design - is an ugly building, really an ugly building.
“I’m afraid to say you can put any kind of cladding on a pig and it’s still a pig.
“The people of Ashford deserve better than a building that has almost zero architectural merit, it’s just completely a missed opportunity.”
These words were echoed by Conservative councillor Bernard Heyes, who represents the Repton ward.
“I can’t see hardly any architectural merit in these basically hideous flats whatsoever,” he said.
“The 16-storey tower block is positively grotesque, I think it’s awful.
“If you’re going to have a high building, which I don’t really think’s appropriate at that height in that area, you could have something better.”
He also questioned the need for more one-bedroom apartments in the town centre, which would comprise 66 of the new dwellings.
Cllr Heyes seconded a motion to refuse the proposal outright tabled by Ashford Labour leader Cllr Brendan Chilton, who was “very disappointed” to see the design of what he said would be “a showpiece of Ashford”.
The council officer responded that a “rigorous design process” had been undertaken by the contracted architects, having looked into the town’s heritage and architecture to inform their design.