Neighbour’s worry over plan for new college building

A pensioner whose home will back on to a proposed 52-room accommodation block fears Canterbury is moving towards being totally dominated by students and their colleges.

Eric Wilson, 70, is objecting to the plans by CATS College to create a block at the junction of New Dover Road and St Lawrence Road on the basis it will create noise and mess.

The college, which used to be called Stafford House, says the building is needed to meet growing demand for places on its courses.

But father-of-four Mr Wilson, who has lived in the Old Coach House in St Lawrence Road for more than 40 years with wife Barbara, complained: “Canterbury is being sacrificed for students.

“It breaks my heart, really. I love this place here. Inside I’m torn up.

“The college clams this is for the benefit of Canterbury, when in fact it’s just to benefit their pockets. They’re not interested in what anybody has to say. They’re going to do what they want to regardless.

“How will this area cope? Where’s the infrastructure?

CATS attracts students from the across the world for its courses and houses them in its own accommodation along the New Dover Road and in Oaten Hill.

Mr Wilson, a retired joiner and carpenter, is worried his quality The plan centres on 66 New Dover Road, Canterbury

of life will suffer if the flats are approved.

He said: “The students are noisy, they shout, they chuck rubbish all over the place. They kick a football against the walls. It’s like Chinese water torture.

“And now I’m going to have 52 more bedrooms right in my back garden. What about my quality of life? I’m getting on a bit and was hoping to see out my days in peace.”

CATS offers A-levels, GCSES, international baccalaureates, a summer programme and foundation courses for university.

The application for 66 New Dover Road was submitted to the city council’s planning depart- ment this week. Burgate architect Clague is handling the plans. Its design statement says CATS is committed to providing quality accommodation for its students, which are overseen full-time by staff.

The statement said: “The college continues to attract strong demand in its specialist sectors, and accordingly there is scope to further increase student numbers, to the benefit of the local economy.

“The majority of the college’s students are aged 16 to 18 and it is essential they are settled in accommodation of a suitably high standard, with full-time onsite management to ensure their welfare.

“In addition to the direct economic benefit of additional jobs, further resident students will bring significant additional economic benefits to the district.”

A previous application for a block of 12 flats at 66 New Dover Road was approved by council planners, but never built.

Log on to www.canterbury. gov.uk/planning for more information on the CATS proposal.

How the proposed CATS building will look from the side in St Lawrence Road