A government planning inspector has turned down plans to build flats next to Chatham's Luton Arches. The scheme proposed four one-bedroom flats on disused land beside the railway bridge in Chatham Hill. The three-storey building featured a tiered design with timber cladding and glazed private balconies, while no car parking was set to be provided. Medway Council refused planning permission in March last year, due to concerns around its "boxy design" and the application's failure to show how it could be a car-free development without impacting road safety. The applicant Yusuf Allyjaun subsequently appealed against Medway Council's decision. However, in a decision notice published last Tuesday (24 January), a planning inspector dismissed the appeal. The inspector agreed with the council that the proposals would "significantly" harm the character and appearance of the area. They also supported the council's judgement that the car-free scheme would affect road safety and the living conditions of neighbouring residents because it would increase the demand for car parking in surrounding streets. In their report the inspector said: "The boxlike design of the proposed building and its prominent siting would... appear as an overly large and bulky addition to the streetscene.
"The modern appearance of the proposed building would be significantly different from the traditional form and modest scale of the surrounding terraces." The inspector also said that the loss of the site's existing trees "would have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area." Commenting on the issue of car parking, the inspector pointed out that although the need for parking from the development may be small, any additional car parking pressures created in the area would affect road safety. The land, which has advertising hoardings and a derelict storage vault, was previously owned by JCDecaux before it was sold for £50,000 in April 2020. See the inspector's full decision notice by clicking here. Comments are closed.
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