Councillors will discuss an application for layout, scale, landscaping and appearance for the first phase of a controversial 450 home build in Margate this week.
Places for People Developments is requesting approval of reserved matters for the erection of 138 dwellings.
The build already has outline planning permission as part of 450 properties to be developed on farmland off Shottendane Road.
The development proposal originally by Gladman Developments Ltd was rejected by Thanet council three times – in April, June and then July of 2021. But it was then granted following an inquiry in 2022.
The development includes the homes, a new distributor link road connecting Hartsdown Road, Shottendane Road and Manston Road, two new roundabouts, public children’s play areas and recreational routes.
The masterplan for the site has been created by Places for People Developments, a property management, development, regeneration and leisure company.
The site masterplan outlines paths and cycle routes, trees and wildflower meadow planting, play areas, open space, a trim trail, sustainable drainage and ‘ecological enhancements’ that include a bird mitigation area, hedgehog highways, log piles and bird and bat boxes.
It also includes a block plan showing the layout of the properties.
The Phase one site is currently agricultural/grazing land and measures 6.53 hectares. It abuts Hartsdown Road at its northern end, wrapping around Shottendane Farmhouse and including the central roundabout and the realignment of Shottendane Road. An agricultural field abuts the western boundary, separating the site from Hartsdown Academy. The build will consist of 12 one-bed flats, 23 two-bed flats, 13 two- bed houses, 51 three-bed houses and 39 four-bed houses.
The application includes plans for open space, a new linear park and trim trail and a proposed SUDs basin sown with wildflower/grass mix.
The proposed new spine road between Hartsdown Road and Shottendane Road will be constructed in phases.
The proposed flat blocks have been amended during the application process, following detailed concerns from officers, altering their design and arrangement. Amendments to the design of the link road to accommodate a dedicated cycle lane have also been made.
The application proposes 29 units as affordable rent (10 one bed flats, 14 two bed flats, 3 three bed houses and 2 four bed houses) with 39 dwellings as shared ownership (7 one bed flats, 7 two bed flats, 10 3 bed houses and 18 four bed dwellings). This would result in a total of 68 affordable dwellings (49% affordable housing on phase 1).
The outline permission granted at appeal only provided 15% on site affordable housing due to issues with the viability of the site. Places for People, have outlined that an award of a grant by Homes England can be used to provide affordable housing above that offered initially.
A report to councillors says: “The level of affordable housing agreed as part of the outline permission has been provided on site, with additional affordable housing indicated, and this would be provided in a suitable mix along with a suitable mix of market housing.
“Amended plans have been submitted during the application process to address a number of concerns that have been raised by residents, councillors and officers. These plans have altered the arrangement and design of the proposed dwellings to ensure that there is sufficient mix and variety of designs and materials to avoid a significant impact upon the character and appearance of the area and to ensure that both existing neighbouring property occupiers and the proposed residents of the site would have acceptable living conditions.
“The onsite highways arrangements under consideration as part of this application have undergone a number of revisions during the process of this application. The final layout is considered to provide a suitable layout that allows the central link road, part of the Thanet Inner Circuit, to be formed as well as providing access to the new dwellings provided on the site.”
The application has been called into Planning Committee by Cllr Mike Garner to consider whether it would have a negative impact on the biodiversity of the area; whether it would result in cramped living conditions and if it would have an adverse effect on the drainage of the area.
Places for People Developments plan to build out the entire site in four phases.
Councillors will discuss the application at a meeting on Wednesday (April 17).
Yet again prime agricultural land being built on for people who don’t live in Thanet, we cannot afford to import all our food, we import too much as it is. Later generations will rue the day that the greed of land owners and developers was allowed to hold sway over common sense.
Agreed. When WW3 kicks off, no more food imports. Our country will starve.
We should be building on Thanet’s three Golf Courses instead of farms!
Why discriminate against golf courses? What about building on all the parks, public gardens and playing fields as well?
Because the other things you mention are open to everyone, usually free of charge.
Kathy – is there any way to supply downloadable pdfs of plans? I can never really see them on my laptop!
Why not try the TDC website or Planning portal, because that is where Kathy obtained them.Sometimes Peter,I mean Pink, you have to work things out for yourself.
As it is, it is the same old dreary cookie cutter, barrack block, standardised design, as seen in countless developments located across the UK.The baffled donkeys will pass it, and within 10, maybe 20 years, it will become rundown and will require yet more redevelopment.
I have given up saying that we could do better, but without much effort we indeed could do better.Yes, we need homes, but they could be built with more intelligence, and with the aim of being homes, rather than investments.Many observers of the housing market have concluded that it is dysfunctional, as are our politicians.
https://planning.thanet.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=RYO4MWQEFT400
A bit too complicated for me.
It says Planning application details not available when you click your link above. That is not a good sign then if it is not for public viewing.
The three golf courses you mention are open to everyone as well.
I have just telephoned my solicitor about the ladies in Switzerland who have been granted the right to sue their government because they’ve been told by the European call of human right that they can sue the government for not doing enough about climate change so I’ve asked my solicitor is it possible that I could take Thanet Council to the European court for allowing houses to be built on farm land. The solicitor replied “ I expect you can leave it with me or just a judicial review??
Firstly Ann, you have to apply to the UK courts and seek redress from them via the Human Rights act.The HRA was put in place to save the effort of going to the European Court of Human Rights or ECHR.There is no point in a judicial review because TDC hasn’t done anything yet The JR only works if there is a a failure of procedure or law by TDC, and knowing them I am sure your lawyer can find one.
If the JR fails or the UK courts find no grounds to suggest your Human rights have been breached, then you can go to the ECHR.
Westwood cross is an embodiment of poor planning policy and could be used as an example of the cavalier way that planning policy is decided in the UK.
But really Ann, I think you might be having us on, because I don’t think you really did phone up your solicitor.
Why did your solicitor put two question marks on the end of their statement?
She paid cash??
Question; How will local people be able to afford many of these houses though the places will be cheaply built without adequate insulation or solar panels?
Answer ; They WON’T be able to buy them. But a few others WILL be able to buy them and then rent them to desperate local people , extracting so much money from the tenants that they will take even longer to save up to eventually buy somewhere. Meanwhile, the poorly-built houses and flats deteriorate from landlord neglect. So the tenants hope to transfer to Council accommodation but find there aren’t enough as successive governments of bith major Parties say the same thing. ” We have n’t got any money!”
And will Places for People Developments GUARANTEE additional GPs and dentists for all these additional new homes and people? Oh, maybe they are in cahoots with Polly Billington who pledges “Getting more GPs and dentists here in Thanet”.
Never ceases to amaze me that people seem incapable to understand that the provision of healthcare workers, particularly those who are self-employed, is not and cannot be due to NHS Constitution among other pieces of legislation and policy a matter for developers or local authorities…
But hey ho.
Hi George, yes I wrote that as a possibility but it’s not true, I’m no Jenny Dawes, I’m amazed at her age she’s even bothered. I’m nearly at the point of looking elsewhere to live especially if the JR for Manston Airport goes pear shaped against the airport reopening. Then I will be looking to move to east grinstead or Crawley they are both near Gatwick airport so they will be convenient for me when. I’m visiting relatives abroad as Manston was before a wicked woman closed it for greed.
I’m going further west than that (Wales or near!). This part of the country is finished.
Ann. A “wicked woman” had absolutely nothing to do with Manston closing for greed or any other reason.
Could you share some of the destinations “abroad” that you flew to from Manston before it closed?
I remember very few international flights, maybe I’ve forgotten some.
Mr Brown – KLM flights to Amsterdam gave you access one of the largest hubs in Europe and therefore flights to the world and without extortionate UK long haul tax!! By using KLM Amsterdam flights you saved a fortune as no long haul tax payable. I think that answers your last point.
FedupB. Your answer is, The Netherlands then? That was the only destination that was “abroad”.
I could drive to multiple airports in this country, or even to Schiphol airport itself to fly to most places. Why would I fly from one airport to another one to do this?
CJB59. Both of these airlines only flew from Manston for less that a year each.
KLM left before the airport closed. There were no international flights at the time of closure.
EUjet never flew to all of the destinations that they first planned to. Never realised the number of passengers that they hoped for & when they ceased trading cited lack of passengers as a major reason for the failure of the company. They also left some 5000 passengers stranded abroad.
Hopefully Ann will come back with her answer.
EU jet flew to about a dozen. KLM linked Manston to Amsterdam which, being a major hub gave multiple destinations.
Ann, the JR cannot stop Manston from reopening it is looking at the legitimacy of the SoS’s decision to grant a DCO. RSP own the land and can apply to the local authority anytime they want. Anyway good luck with your move to Crawley.
I am in my 80’s Ann, and have donated thousands to the Judicial Review, because I don’t want greedy Americans, and the 2 Thanet MP’s to wreck Ramsgate/Thanet should Manston re-open even after my death!
Ms Pink, yes with all this house building the only people who will feel at home will be the DFLs thinking they are back in London.
What with all the extra traffic and estates god help east kent.
Hang on, did you not just say that you were planning to move elsewhere? Isnt it a bit weird that you despise those doing or who ha ve done what you plan to do…?
Will you be happy to be constantly reminded that you are an UFT (Up from Thanet)?
Unless people are going to object to the huge levels of migration into the country , the legal channels being many times greater than the much smaller numbers of illegal entries, the amount of house building in the south east will just keep continuing.
So people need to get back to work, work harder and then we won’t need to import so much labour. But individuals who’ve managed to set themselves in lifestyles doing little or no work are unlikely to give that up, so we’re stuck with ever more house building. But as we’re unlikely to attract anywhere near enough jobs thanet will continue to have disproportionately high levels of benefit dependency, helped in no small part by other boroughs choosing to build homes here or do deals with housing associations to take people from their hpusing lists. Things aren’t going to change.
So is the question “What would you like to happen, build more houses or double your council tax to continue to pay for the increased cost of this country?”
We locals are captured residents as before long it will take ages to get out of Thanet with all the extra traffic coming here with new houses that we will give up trying to leave unless you allow a full day
Or get on a train.
Every time I get on a train my journey is frequently disrupted by idiots trespassing on the line 🙄
As opposed to idiots driving on roads?
Again more farmland gone ,more food supplies gone ,the only people profits from this is TDC and the Building firm ,
Someone is very clever as long as the building company keeps under the threshold
(the number of homes built at one time )
The company do not have to provide schools, doctors or shops within new builds ,so by building 450 homes the company gets away with it yet again, this is why companies build in phases ie phase 1 phase 2 and so on
I can never understand why people feel it is the developer ( but effectively the buyer of the homes) that has to pay for doctors , dentists , etc.
We all pay our taxes and you’d expect those that buy the homes will be too, we’re told that all the migrants coming here to work make their requisite contributions so its down to the health service et al to provide the services required. Likewise why are new home buyers paying a premium to subsidise the affordable housing elements of developments.
Utterly ridiculous
Another stupid idea by this council -Aint we got enough bloody houses going up Look at The New Haine road- GRIDLOCKED.
Not Thanet Council’s problem the roads blocked or gridlocked as that is down to KCC. There are no consultations between any of the authorities regarding all this development going on, yet it is always the public who suffer the consequences of their misjudged awful planning. Sort it out TDC, we cannot cope with anymore gridlocked roads.