Taylor Wimpey housing firm halts auction of two green spaces in Broadstairs after plea from residents

The green space plots in Broadstairs destined for auction

Taylor Wimpey housebuilding company has halted the sale of two green plots in Broadstairs following a plea from residents, area councillor and the town tree warden.

The housebuilder company had put one 9,417 sq ft plot by The Silvers/The Hawthorns and another 10,046 sq ft plot off Chestnut Drive up for auction. Both plots had a guide price of £15,000 for the freehold.

But Broadstairs councillor Mike Garner, tree warden Karen McKenzie and residents wrote to Taylor Wimpey bosses to ask them to reconsider the sale.

The Hawthorns Photo Sue Wall

Both plots, which are on the estate built by Wimpey in 1972, are marked as Green Space in the town’s Neighbourhood Development Plan and the district Local Plan. The land off Chestnut Drive is also the site of a memorial tree planted for a resident of the estate who walked there every day.. They were due to go under the hammer with Allsop auctioneers on May 12.

Cllr Mike Garner

Cllr Garner said: “Over the last few years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with local residents to help maintain and improve the facilities in the park and the green spaces are integral to that.

“As well as being an important access point to the park from the estate, they are home to several mature trees as well as two recently planted new ones. The estate is a place people like to live and its associated park and these green spaces need to be protected.”

Cllr Garner said Taylor Wimpey had been asked to put the sale on hold to enable the town council to talk to them about potentially taking on the land. There has also been a request for a non-build covenant to be placed on the plots.

Karen at a separate tree planting in Broadstairs

Tree warden Karen McKenzie said the sale would be “devastating.”

Chestnut Drive Photo Sue Wall

Taylor Wimpey director Tim Betts responded to the appeal by saying he would look into the matter and now the housebuilding company has confirmed the plots are to be withdrawn from the auction.

A Taylor Wimpey spokesperson said: “We understand that the sale of land at Broadstairs is a cause of concern for local residents. We have listened to their feedback and taken the decision to withdraw the land from the auction on May 12.

“We will be engaging with residents about the future plans for the land over the coming weeks.”

Find the auction site here

19 Comments

  1. Excellent result. Where were the other councillors in that ward? Seems only Mr Garner does anything helpful

  2. When the estate was in the planning stage in the late 60s / 70s the green spaces were all part of the planning. It’s only right that these spaces are kept green. Thanks to Karen / residents and councillors for standing up and protesting about the disgusting plan to sell off the the land the land should now be donated to the benefit of the children and others to use for leisure only in future.

    • I completely agree with you.l walk through this area regularly and was always impressed with the good use of space.I love to see all the trees. Can’t believe they wanted to build there!Whatever next?!

  3. I wanted to buy these and turn it into much needed housing but nimbys win again and spend their dinner parties talking about the value of their house whilst moaning that their children will not have a chance to get a house as the have 3 children already and are only 17….

  4. The open and green spaces should be kept as they, so people can enjoy them, plus because of certain important things there they shouldn’t build on them.
    There is already enough housing in Broadstairs, stop trying to spoil it.

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