Plans for 13 houses at Sacketts Hill in Broadstairs have been refused by Thanet council.
The redevelopment of the waste transfer site in Sacketts Hill formerly owned by W Brazil and Sons, aimed to create 8 four-bed and five 3-bed homes alongside existing building The Lodge.
A waste management licence was issued on the site in February 1989. The site is understood to have ceased operating as a waste transfer station in 2019.
The facility was previously operated by W Brazil and Brothers and was then bought by the 1948 Group.
The development plans have been amended to reduce the number of homes on site. All homes would have been ‘executive’ with an initial suggestion that the affordable housing requirement be via an offsite financial payment. Negotiation led to a new agreement of four affordable housing units on the site or a contribution towards affordable housing if a registered provider cannot be secured.
Planning documents say: “The application seeks to secure the re-use of the brownfield site for much-needed residential development, and proposes to secure this entirely within the interior of the existing perimeter woodland to the site.
“The proposed layout seeks the retention of the existing residential dwelling ‘the Lodge’, which would remain in situ in its central location. The proposal relates to the erection of 13 dwellings, which is a reduction in numbers from 24 dwellings within the previous proposal.
“An internal road would provide a circular route around ‘the Lodge,’ which the new dwellings would front and from which they would gain access. The existing mature perimeter planting is proposed to be retained and strengthened. To further safeguard this screening, the curtilage of each property is shown to fall short of the main woodland.”
An updated tree report indicates that three trees within the site would be removed and a 4m reduction in the width of an Elm hedgerow along the access road would be required. The report also suggests that eight trees are in such poor condition that they should be removed irrespective of the development.
However, the site is not allocated for housing in Thanet’s Local Plan and sits within a Green Wedge.
A planning officer report says: “The proposed development would provide 13 additional dwellings which is considered to be a small contribution to the district’s housing supply and would provide some economic benefits both during construction and when in use.
“This proposal would result in the loss of the existing waste transfer site, however there appears to be limited need for this use and the proposed development would allow for the remediation of this area.
“This development would, however, result in a significant urbanisation of this part of the green wedge, resulting in the irreversible loss of this area and the reduced separation between Broadstairs and Margate.
“Only larger dwellings are proposed on the site when there is a need for a variety of housing in the district. No justification has been provided for the proposed mix and whilst there is a need for some three and four bedroom dwellings, the largest need in the district has been identified for two bedroom properties. The lack of smaller dwellings would not provide dwellings that are most required and fail to create a mixed community.
“It is therefore considered that whilst there is a need for housing in the district and that this development would provide some economic benefits, the harm resulting from the impacts upon this designated area and the mix of housing which only provides larger dwellings would outweigh this small contribution to the district’s housing supply and therefore this application should be refused.”
The refusal was published yesterday {January 10}.
W.Brazil Bros was an independent waste management company established for more 60 years up until 2019.
Amazing, this green wedge! No green wedges at wwx then or Nash Lane, Shottenden Road, Haine Road and numerable others.
Thanet’s Green Wedges are of enormous importance. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.Even if this application had been more meritorious than it appears to have been (ie comprised truly affordable housing), it would have been a mistake to approve it and set an egregious precedent. The fact that developers had the temerity to attempt a profit-driven raid on part of a Green Wedge should alert us all to the fact that developers who themselves may never have to live in Thanet are constantly and greedily circling.