A shop owner has revealed their plans to demolish an existing motorcycle shop on Luton Road in Chatham and replace it with a block of flats. The proposals, subject to approval by Medway Council, will see the existing Barney's Bikes motorcycle shop at the junction of Luton Road with Albany Road flattened to make way for a new block comprising of four 1-bed and two 2-bed flats. It is also planned that two separate retail units will occupy the ground floor. Rochester-based Ubique Architects, who designed the proposed block on behalf of the shop owner, said that the development has been designed to "make a positive contribution to the street scene", despite it being out of character from the typical Victorian architecture along Luton Road. No parking spaces will be included after a parking survey carried out in light of the planning application concluded that existing parking stress levels in the surrounding streets "will be able to cope" with the additional car numbers expected to be generated, according to the architects. While the architects insist the new three-storey block of flats will have a positive contribution to the local area, residents living nearby have already lodged their objections against the plans.
One resident noted the choice of one and two-bed flats could lead to an increase in social isolation and loneliness, an already detrimental problem in the Luton Road area which has seen a sharp rise in the number of family houses being converted into bedsits and houses of multiple occupation. Concerns have also been raised about the development's stark and radical contrast to the "widely appreciated" Victorian street scene of Luton Road. What are your thoughts? Residents are encouraged to take a look at the plans for the proposed block of flats and share their views by submitting a comment on Medway Council's Planning Portal website.
Stacy
8/12/2019 17:07:50
The park up this road is a nightmare already they park up maida road and alfred close so parking for the people
Bev
8/12/2019 17:37:49
Totally agree Stacy, not sure who did this parking survey but they obviously have no idea!! as we know the area is already struggling with cars being parked on pavements because there's nowhere to park on the road
Wayne Gray
9/12/2019 21:07:16
There not room at the schoos meet there as well
Abbie
8/12/2019 18:59:53
I agree i live practically opposite Barneys bikes i struggle every day to park its a nightmare this will make it worse
Louise
8/12/2019 19:41:18
Absolute joke parking is already horrendous around here with Premier shop and the chicken shop already there. There is no more room for parking as it is will just cause more hassle and problems
Billy Smith
8/12/2019 22:16:36
Looks great for any buy to let investors.
Amy
8/12/2019 22:26:15
Parking and driving down Luton road is an absolute nightmare. Please reconsider the two shops and instead have one, and parking.
Caroline
9/12/2019 10:17:34
I can't believe local residents have to find this out from social media, I live virtually opposite the bike shop, parking is a bloody nightmare in Albany Road, we get the people who live on Luton road parking up here as the Luton road residents have nowhere to park, my own family the majority of the time can't park in Albany, they have to park in maida, taking spaces from the Maida residents,
i dont even live there, and i know what a joke it is to find parking now, when was the survey done? was they blind or just google it on a sunday afternoon in summer?? and how overpopulated the area is. You really think adding yet even more flats is going to improve anything, and not to take into account the additional traffic this will generate. Does Luton really need more shops? what business is going to end up there? more take aways, maybe another corner store? with nowhere to park for either, in an area well known for crime and problems. or maybe a modern block of flats will scare off the junkies/drunks and other low lifes that has got Luton its great reputation ....... Kent crime deprivation ranking: 9
Teresa Pickett
9/12/2019 18:24:09
I am all for flats being built but no parking facilities will cause a bigger nightmare . Whoever thinks it's not needed obviously doesn't know the area at all.
Nicola Day
10/12/2019 13:53:37
Are they serious! We all struggle with parking as it is round here and the area is over congested. I'm all for trying to improve a place but this is not the solution, all those flats will provide is just more people for the junkies to target. Comments are closed.
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