Local Plan: the vision for 2031

Multimillion-pound plans to build 15,600 homes and transform roads "will support 6,500 new jobs across the district by 2031".

Canterbury City Council's draft Local Plan seeks to change roads in areas including Sturry and south Canterbury and create a new park-and-ride site close to a new A2 junction near Bridge.

The document, which is due to go out for public consultation from June 14 [actually June 20th], earmarks eight major sites of development in Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable, Sturry and Hersden, with house-building and employment land suggestions for additional areas including Howe Barracks, and the current council office site.

The scheme will mean 9,916 new properties in addition to some 4,500 already in the pipeline or expected to be applied for, being built at a rate of some 780 per year, and 96,775 square metres of employment land being created in the next 17 years.

Proposals

Proposals include 4,000 homes, two primary schools, business space, allotments, shops and a medical centre in south Canterbury, which will also benefit from a £20 million junction on the A2 opposite Renville Farm and the relocated and extended park and ride on agricultural land close to the new junction.

Sturry and Broadoak will have a build of 1,000 homes, business units, community facilities and a £12 million bridge over the level crossing, which will be closed, bringing cars out at the park and ride.

CCC chief executive Colin Carmichael said:

"We have had lots of conversations with KCC and highways and in principle they are happy with this. The crossing will be closed and with traffic from Thanet and Herne Bay being diverted this will entirely change the character of Sturry."

Four hundred homes and an extension of the Duncan Downs village green, which will be doubled in size, and allotments are planned along the Thanet Way at Whitstable, another 1,000 homes, doctors surgery and 33,000 square metres of business space at the Altira site at Hillborough, and another 600 homes in Greenhill, near Briary school.

Strode Farm is earmarked for 800 homes, retail, employment and leisure space and a new relief road. The Herne Bay golf club site will get 400 homes, a doctors surgery, care home and leisure facilities. Hersden could get 800 homes, employment space, a community building and games area.

A new retail park is planned for Wincheap, and Howe Barracks could offer some limited development opportunities of up to 400 homes. The Ministry of Defence is understood to be selling the land next year.

CCC is also suggesting an Eastern bypass to run from the new Sturry bridge to the new A2 junction at Bridge. Government funding would be applied for to help with the costs.

Council leader John Gilbey said:

"This is a unique opportunity to get the relief road established even though we can't afford to build it right now."

The aim of the housing plan is to provide at least 30 per cent of the properties as affordable homes for families in the district and to try and keep graduating students who could add to the economy.

It is hoped the homes will also be used by the growing "knowledge" sector in Canterbury, made up of software and IT firms and professionals such as architects and accountants.

The district has seen jobs growth in this area despite the recession of around 36 per cent. Cllr Gilbey said:

"The knowledge sector, such as scientific, research and professional services, is a strong area. Our innovation centre is 95 per cent full and we could do with another one. There are incubation firms for hi-tech industries at the universities and we want to keep these people here."

The draft plan, which will be discussed by an overview committee at CCC on Monday 13th May, will go out for consultation for eight weeks [now 10 weeks]. People will be able to see copies at libraries and online. There may also be roadshows in the district.

It is expected the plan will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in Summer/Autumn 2014. The independent inspector will make the final decision on whether the plan is viable. For more information, see the plan at http://tinyurl.com/CantLocPlan

HB Times 9th May 2013