Chatham housing project plans edge closer to reality

Plans for a significant mixed-use development in Kent that would include retail space and up to 800 residences have advanced this week. The proposal, which pertains to a site at East Hill, Chatham, is being presented by FD Attwood & Partners and Taylor Wimpey UK.

Earlier this year, outline approval was granted for a plan that included up to 800 homes, 25% of which would be designated as affordable housing. This would include a mixture of homes and apartments with two, three, four and five bedrooms. Up to four shop spaces, a doctor's office, a primary school and several transportation enhancements are also included in the plans.

Medway Council had initially refused the application back in March 2021, saying that the proposal 'constitutes a large-scale urban development within the countryside and located on greenfield land, which is not allocated for the proposed use.'

However, following an appeal, the Planning Inspectorate issued an outline planning permit early this year with a number of restrictions.

One of them required the creation of a phased development plan for the entire site before the first application for restricted issues was submitted.

The council requested that "the phasing plan shall demonstrate how the development of the entire site can be brought forward to secure development in a timely manner."

"This condition is required to ensure that the key elements of each phase of the development is completed in an order which ensures that infrastructure needs, landscaping/open space and access are in place relevant to each phase before further development is undertaken, in the interests of good design."

The phasing plan, which includes a map segmenting the project into phases one through four and a school phase, has now been presented to Medway Council.

Phases one and two would each include roughly 100 residences, while phases three would have about 400 dwellings as well as the retail spaces.

The remaining 200 homes would be included in the fourth phase, and the school phase is reported to feature a multi-use games area and full-sized football pitch.

Main picture courtesy of Medway Lib Dems

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