Sir Roger Gale says: Bridge, then houses.

Herne Bay MP Sir Roger Gale says a proposed development in Hillborough should not go ahead until Blacksole Bridge has been built.

He has called for a trade to be made for the site near Altira Park, which has been earmarked for 1,000 homes. He says developer Kitewood Estates should build Blacksole Bridge in exchange for approval of its plans.

A long-running stand-off has halted development at Altira Park because of a clause the council included in the initial contract with Kitewood. It said it would not have to build Blacksole Bridge until 17,000 sq metres of its business park had been developed.

Sir Roger said:

"I am not averse to sensible plans for properties but my absolute priority is Blacksole Bridge. If Altira have a determination to acquire land and build houses, we should not be interested unless they build the bridge. I know the city council, in its infinite wisdom, put in a condition that they would not have to build the bridge until they have built on a certain amount of land. Now they want something else. If they want that, then they should build the bridge."

However, Sir Roger qualified this by saying he felt 1,000 homes would be too many for Hillborough. He said:

"I think the density would be too high. I am not prepared to see the city district housing needs and problems dumped on Herne Bay."

The Kitewood Group director Mike Dolan said:

"I think it would be premature for me to comment in any detail on the draft Local Plan because at present it is just a draft. It has to go before the Overview and Scrutiny committees and the Executive of the council before being published. It is quite possible that changes will be made as part of that process so I believe the appropriate time for me to comment is when the actual outcome is known. Suffice to say that we are greatly encouraged the land has been recognised as suitable and appropriate for development."

The Details

A new primary school would be part of a 1,000 home development at Hillborough. It would also include a community hub, doctor's surgery and local shops. The development would be accessed on a link road to the Thanet Way, via Altira Park.

Some smaller parts of the development would be accessed from Sweechbridge Road. These would benefit from a new slip road to the westbound carriageway of the Thanet way at the Heart-in-Hand junction. Developers would also have to contribute towards the cost of a Herne relief road at Strode Farm.

HB Gazette 9th May 2013

Puffin plans come to nuffin

Plans by developer Kitewood to build 40 homes on greenfield land in Beltinge have been thrown out by a Government planning inspector. Paul Jackson dismissed the company’s appeal against the city council's refusal to release the land for development.

Kitewood complained that it had never received a response to its application in time.

In a response that will please protesters, Mr Jackson said the area already had enough housing and that previously developed brownfield land should be used first. Kitewood boss Mike Dolan, who was told of the decision by the Herne Bay Times, said:

“We are somewhat surprised at the inspector’s decision. We do not believe he has given proper weight to the representations we made at the inquiry, particularly concerning the availability of land for the council's forecast housing needs up to 2016, and his interpretation of central government policy.

Nevertheless, we respect his right to exercise his discretion in certain matters and will now await our legal advisers’ review before deciding whether to challenge the decision in the High Court. We are heartened by his comment that he is not convinced here would be any unacceptably increased risks to anyone’s highway safety or to children playing in the area as a result of 40 new homes.”

City council spokesman Rob Davies said:

“We are naturally pleased the inspector upheld our position, particularly on the key issues of the five-year housing supply and the focus on the regeneration of the town centre. We put forward a strong case. The dismissal of the appeal is a vindication of the work we are doing to provide housing land for the future.”

HB Times 1st Mar 2012​

Puffin development enquiry

Missing page adds to legal clash over homes

Lawyers representing council officials clashed with developers at a public enquiry into the fate of greenfield land in Beltinge. They went head-to-head in front of independent planning inspector Paul Jackson, over Kitewood's plan to put 40 houses on a plot west of Puffin Road.

Kitewood argues that it never received a response to its planning application. And it says the district does not have a deliverable supply of housing over the next five years.

The council claims the site was a reserve site in their local housing plan --and they are already 1,150 homes ahead of their strategic requirement, so the land doesn't need to be released for development.

A jargon-heavy series of clashes between council barrister Richard Ground and Kitewood representatives over policies and figures were thrown across the sombre Canterbury Guildhall. The two sides were forced to go through every single site being developed in the Canterbury district, as well as noting which houses or flats had (and had not) been sold, before the debate started in earnest.

Paul Jackson

Confusion briefly reigned after the council's barrister asked his opponents to turn to page 24 of one of the foot-thick piles of documents. But they claimed that their page was missing. All eyes turned to the inspector, who was shuffling his paperwork. He said:

"I don't have a page 24, either. This is very serious indeed. I very much doubt that there has been any funny business but I do want to preclude the possibility of any doubt so I am going to ask you to retire and make sure all your pages match."

Pages of supplementary planning documents, country planning acts, case statements and monitoring reports were juggled frantically to put things in order before the inquiry continued. The decision is expected to be published in a few week's time.

HB Times 3rd Feb 2012

Inquiry starting into homes plan

Developers hoping to build 40 homes on the outskirts of Herne Bay will go head-to-head with council bosses at a public inquiry this week.

The two-day hearing, which started 25th Jan, was called after officials from Canterbury City Council failed to decide on the application by Kitewood for a site in Beltinge, near Coventry Gardens.

Kitewood boss Mike Dolan told the Times he was confident the Government inspector would rule in their favour, adding:

"We want to have a harmonious relationship with both officers and councillors. But we don't expect to be ignored when we submit an application. We submitted the application in spring 2011 and just didn't have a reply. The council needs to have a full and deliverable five-year supply of housing and I don't think that is the case."

Kitewood has faced fierce public opposition over plans to build upward of 1,000 homes on agricultural land in Hillborough.

Council spokesman Rob Davies confirmed the application had not been decided within the 13-week target. But officials have since decided they would have refused the development because the site was not needed for housing at the moment.

thisiskent 27th Jan 2012

Kitewood divides young and old

Hmmm... separating the under-60s and over-60s... do I detect an attempt to 'divide and rule'?

Developers pushing for a £240 million housing scheme on the outskirts of Herne Bay claim people over the age of 60 do not want it to happen. In a report compiled on public opinion, Kitewood Estates says there is opposition from “those more senior residents who would prefer to retain the existing status quo".

The firm adds “those who appeared to be aged over 60 were more likely to be opposed to the scheme”, but claims a “broad support” overall, particularly from people with young families.

The comments are made in a report put together after two days of public consultation about the plans, which include 1,375 homes, a primary school and shopping centre in Hillborough. The phased development would start at the end of next year and continue until 2026.

More than 400 people are thought to have attended the exhibitions at Reculver Primary School in August and September, with 183 filling out questionnaires. Of those who responded, 36% are said to be in favour of the scheme, with 62% opposed and just 2% undecided.

Kitewood claims all 47 online replies were in support of the proposal. Only 60% of objectors explain why they are against the plans, with Kitewood accusing the others of “expressing a blanket opposition to the development”.

Among the concerns raised are traffic congestion, the need  for another secondary school, and the loss of green space. Other replies push for new medical and dental facilities, an improved bus service and even a new railway station.

But Kitewood accuses locals of failing to grasp the road improvements proposed and how they would ease traffic density concerns. It also says people have confused the scheme with other unrelated developments in the area.

Despite the majority of responses opposing the plans, Kitewood describes those who did not as a “very high” percentage, claiming an “organised anti-development faction often represents no more than a minority voice”. It adds:

“There is broad support for the scheme and understandable opposition from those more senior residents who would prefer to retain the existing status quo. It is important for Kitewood to enhance its plan and incorporate the proposals made by local residents and to address the important issues they have raised. Most importantly, it is essential that Kitewood is able to communicate the beneficial impact and long-term planning gains the scheme will deliver for the community.”

---

---

Campaigner questions result

Speaking on behalf of the Save Hillborough campaign, leader Laura Calder questioned the results. She said:

"Only 13% of the paper replies to the consultation were in favour, but 100% of the email replies were in favour, which looks a bit odd. Even if you include all of the favourable email replies, over 60% were not in favour of the scheme, but Kitewood describes this as ‘broad support’.

It is very disappointing that they should go to all the trouble of this big PR exercise. and then ignore the voices that they don't want to hear. Let’s hope that our councillors pay more attention to us than the developers have."