Plans have been submitted to build seven homes at Shottendane Farm in Margate.
The proposal would mean the demolition of commercial storage buildings to be replaced with the one 2-bed, five 3-bed and one 4-bed homes.
Shottendane Farm occupies a 5 acre site of what was once part of a larger 100 acre farm complex dating to the 1700s. Operations ceased around 1990. The site is allocated for housing in Thanet’s Local Plan – a blueprint for development, business and infrastructure up until 2031.
The farmhouse is grade II listed. The application is for 1.9 acres of the site.
The existing farmhouse (pictured), cattle shed and stables are to be retained and occupied by the applicant. The development relates solely to the demolition of the existing more modern buildings within the site and the surrounding land
Planning documents state: “The proposed layout allows the retention of the overwhelming majority of existing mature trees both within the site and at the boundaries – which has been informed by a tree survey of the site carried out by Quaife Woodlands. The proposed scheme provides for additional tree planting and landscaping to further enhance the setting of the development across the site, particularly along the north-west boundary.
“The redundancy of the site from its historic agricultural background, the recent intervention of the more recent (although now vacant) commercial development, and its 2020 allocation as a housing site gives the site high capacity for change.
“It is asserted that the development proposed has struck an appropriate balance between making efficient use of the site for housing, as envisaged through the housing allocation, in a form that is sympathetic to and embracing of the key characteristics of the site as they relate to heritage, framework of mature trees, biodiversity enhancements, access, relationship between buildings and topography.”
Shottendane is also the site for a 450 home proposal by Gladman Developments Ltd. This was submitted in July 2020 but was rejected by councillors on the planning committee three times on grounds of unacceptable low level of affordable housing – at 10% and then 15% instead of 30%. An appeal against the rejection is due to be heard in January.
A decision for Shottendane Farm is yet to be made. Plans can be found on the Thanet council portal under reference F/TH/21/1864
