Fiercely criticised plans for a block of flats next to Luton Arches in Chatham have been refused for a third time by Medway Council. Property developer Wexham Homes submitted a planning application to build a block of 9 one-bedroom flats on vacant land currently occupied by advertising hoardings. The four-storey development was to be 'car-free', meaning that no car parking spaces were going to be provided for potential residents and their visitors. However, Medway Council has refused the developer permission to build the flats for a third time, particularly after strong objections began to mount against the proposals. In a report, the Council found that the block of flats would "fail to improve the environment of the area". It also noted that the car-free nature of the development is likely to result in a "severe impact on road safety and operation of the local transport network".
Medway Council's planning department ultimately concluded that the development failed to comply with several local and national planning policies, before issuing a notice of refusal. The latest defeat comes just months after a previous planning application by Wexham Homes was also refused by the Council. Its previous attempt saw proposals for a block of 12 one-bed flats and 4 ground-floor offices, but again with no parking provided. The developer's ambitions stalled when Medway Council refused planning permission, and later once again when an appeal to the government's Planning Inspectorate was defeated. An initial planning application back in 2019 for the construction of 19 one-bed flats was also refused. Previously owned by international advertising agency JCDecaux, the plot of land sitting between the dental clinic and the Luton Arches was sold in an auction for £140,000 in 2017. Kent Reliance in Chatham is the latest to undergo a makeover as part of a wider programme across the bank's network of branches, which will take two weeks to complete. Improvements to the bank include an enhanced layout, better access with a new automatic sliding door and increased privacy inside. A new-look shopfront will also be installed and the external cashpoint removed. It will reopen its doors to customers on Monday, 8 March. Jenny Longbottom, Savings Operations Manager, Kent Reliance said: “At Kent Reliance, we’re continuing with our plans for the future and we’re really pleased to progress our branch enhancement programme to ensure we offer the best possible customer experience.
"We understand the importance of our branches to customers and that they value the personal service our staff offer," she added. “Having successfully navigated the challenges of the past year, we’ll continue to follow the government guidelines to ensure the safety of both customers and branch colleagues, by asking customers to only visit branches for essential banking transaction such as paying in cash or making withdrawals.” As part of its programme, Kent Reliance recently opened a new branch in Strood High Street at the end of January, just around the corner from its old location. Kent Reliance is an award-winning banking services provider based in Chatham, having operated for over 150 years. It was founded in 1898 as the Chatham & District Reliance Building Society, later changing its name to the Kent Reliance Building Society in 1986. Travel agency TUI has permanently closed its branch in Chatham High Street.
A TUI UK spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we’ve made the very difficult decision to permanently close the TUI retail store in Chatham. "We would like to thank our loyal customers for their support and our amazing retail advisors for all their hard work." It is not known how many jobs have been affected. TUI - formerly known as Thomson Holidays - is the UK’s largest holiday brand, delivering holiday experiences for its customers for over 50 years. The closure of the TUI branch in Chatham joins a growing list of businesses that have left the town centre since the beginning of 2020. This includes Debenhams, Buzz Bingo, GO Outdoors, the Age UK charity shop, the Co-op Bank, KFC and Subway. Last week it was also confirmed that Burton and Dorothy Perkins in the Pentagon Shopping Centre are to permanently close. Online fashion retailer Boohoo bought the brands in a multi-million pound deal, which did not included any of the remaining traditional 'brick-and-mortar' stores. Online fashion retailer Boohoo has bought Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis in a £25.2m deal, prompting the permanent closure of the stores in Medway with all staff made redundant. The deal is for the stock, ecommerce and digital assets of the three brands, which were owned by the Arcadia Group when it entered administration at the end of last year. However, it does not include the 214 remaining Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Burton shops, which will permanently close, according to administrators from Deloitte. The affected stores in Medway include:
The Wallis store at Hempstead Valley, Gillingham, already permanently closed in January in a separate decision by the Arcadia Group, which saw it shut 31 stores. Around 2,450 staff across Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis will lose their jobs as a result of the sale, and have been informed about this by email already.
Boohoo chief executive John Lyttle said: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of the assets associated with the online businesses of the three established brands Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis. “Acquiring these well-known brands in British fashion out of administration ensures their heritage is sustained, while our investment aims to transform them into brands that are fit for the current market environment. “We have a successful track record of integrating British heritage fashion brands on to our proven multi-brand platform, and we are looking forward to bringing these brands on board.” Sir Phillip Green’s Arcadia Group was one of the major players on the UK high street, but the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a final blow to his retail empire. In December it entered administration, putting around 13,000 of jobs at risk. Last week Boohoo's rival and another online fashion retailer Asos completed a £330 million deal to buy Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT from Arcadia. The closure of Burton and Dorothy Perkins in Chatham joins a growing list of businesses that have left the town centre since the beginning of 2020. This includes Debenhams in January, Buzz Bingo in July, GO Outdoors in August, the Age UK charity shop in September, the Co-op Bank in November, KFC in December and Subway this January. |
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August 2023
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