'Serious concerns' about plans for 229 flats at Queen Street and Slicketts Hill car parks in Chatham17/6/2020
Plans for over 200 homes, rooftop gardens and a spa on car parks in Chatham town centre have been slammed by Historic England. Developer Creval Chatham Ltd submitted its plans to build four blocks of one, two and three-bed flats on the Queen Street and Slicketts Hill car parks earlier this year. BRL Architects, who designed the flats, claims the development will upgrade a "run-down" area to boost "confidence to create a new city [of Medway]". However, in a letter sent to Medway Council's planning department, Historic England raises "serious concerns" about the redevelopment. While the organisation "acknowledges the benefits" of redeveloping the car parks, it highlights the high-rise flats would cause "moderate harm to the significance of designated heritage" including the Grade I-listed Naval War Memorial nearby on the Great Lines. Historic England claims the developer has not demonstrated that the "harm has been avoided or minimised", failing to meet the basic requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework, a document which sets out the government’s planning policies for England. "The proposal fails to meet...aspirations for high quality design," the letter from Historic England reads, suggesting a "substantive re-design" or the complete withdrawal of the planning application for further re-work "may be required".
The tallest building is expected to reach 11 storeys on the corner of Slicketts Hill, despite guidance from the Chatham Town Centre Masterplan published in December 2019 suggesting most buildings in the area should be "within 6 to 10 storeys". In addition to the 229 flats, 100 public parking spaces and 100 private parking spaces will be created. Leisure amenities including an on-site spa, pool and gym studio, as well as rooftop communal gardens, will also be available to future residents. To deliver the development, Medway Council entered a joint venture agreement with developer Creval to build the scheme whilst retaining the existing level of parking spaces and securing a significant profit share from the sale of the flats. Should the plans be given the green light, Medway Council could expect to lose around £68,000 per year in car parking income during the construction period, although it was earmarked that there will be "compensation paid by Creval to the Council for the temporary loss of car parking income". The latest plans for the car parks at Queen Street and Slicketts Hill comes years after the first planning application for the site was submitted back in April 2013. Outline planning permission was granted for the construction of 118 homes as a mix of one, two and three-bed flats and three and four-bed houses, in addition to 3,375 sq metres of commercial space and 146 parking spaces. Consent was granted subject to the prior approval of ‘reserved matters’ - these being the full details of the appearance of any proposed buildings and landscaping - by April 2015. Development should have then commenced within two years. A year later at a meeting in May 2014, Medway Council was expected to declare the car parks as 'surplus' and dispose of the site for development. This was not given the go-ahead due to the loss of town centre parking spaces and the deterioration of the property market. The Council did, however, finally agree to "bring forward the site for development, whilst retaining the car park and income" in July 2018, according to Council papers. As part of the latest plans, at least 25% of the 229 flats will be 'affordable' through off-site provision at a separate development on the opposite side of Queen Street in the future. It is not yet known when the planning application will be considered by Medway Council's Planning Committee. Photos: BRL Architects
Cheryl
20/6/2020 08:30:13
Absolutely joke if this goes ahead ... you build nice places for Londoners but not people who already live here .... have you thought about all the traffic? Have you thought about the over load at the hospital? Have you thought about kid’s school? Absolutely joke
Fiona
20/6/2020 12:45:51
It seems from this that Medway council wish to retain the current level of parking. Surely there will need to be a significant increase in the amount of available parking, to accommodate all the new residents as well as visitors to the town? Or will we have investment in an efficient and reasonably priced public transport system that negates the need to drive into town? Why do the council persist in considering ‘gentrification’ building in a town like Chatham whilst ignoring the very real needs of the existing residents. This monstrosity will be an eyesore plus Chatham doesn’t even have a supermarket or Functioning GP surgery any more. Complete insanity or corruption?
John
24/6/2020 09:54:16
Historic England’s points aside (I don’t think they require ripping up the plans) I don’t see what the issue is?
Mr plympton house estate
19/1/2022 13:57:38
Chris Patterson & John Steven’s ( piss poor directors ) have a reputation of starting something maximising there back pockets and going bust this is evident on there companies house cv we currently live in a piss poor development which was conducted by these crooks and they still haven’t finished what they are supposed to leaving the grounds of plympton house estate like a shit hole be aware of these crooks please do not fall into the same trap as all the residents of plympton house estate have done Comments are closed.
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