Planning permission secured for 14 flats

We are delighted to have secured planning permission for a developer in Herne Bay, Canterbury. The project sought the redevelopment of a care home which had come to the end of its life to provide 14 high specification apartments with associated parking overlooking Herne Bay.

It was a complicated scheme and has been through various iterations over the last few years. We supported the project team during the later period, advising on strategy, negotiating with the Council, preparing the application and planning statement and liaising across the wider project team. Of particular interest were two key issues: Stodmarsh and the provision of affordable housing.

Stodmarsh

Natural England have placed a holding objection on all applications which create additional residential units on sites which drain to Stodmarsh. This is due to assumed high nitrate levels entering Stodmarsh from waste water treatment works which are over capacity in the area. A map of the affected areas can be found here.

Canterbury council is presently working with Natural England and a number of other affected LPAs in the Kent area to find a solution.

Fortunately, we engaged early on a civil engineering team with experience in drainage and were able to work together to demonstrate that the existing care home facility would have had a greater pressure on the foul sewage network than the proposed development. This position was accepted which allowed the determination of the application to continue.

If you are approaching a project within Stodmarsh areas, we would recommended early input from a specialist in the matter.

Viability review

Viability Assessments are a process of assessing whether a site is financially viable, by looking at whether the value generated by a development is more than the cost of developing it. In this case, a viability appraisal was provided by the applicant which indicated that due to the complexity of the site and the existing land value, the proposal would not generate sufficient surplus to support any affordable housing provision onsite or any offsite contributions in lieu.

Whilst affordable housing is important, it is equally important to ensure that the development proposed is viable. Unfortunately in this instance the provision of affordable housing was not possible given existing site constraints.

Can we help?

If you have a site in Canterbury and are looking for a planning consultancy to help you achieve your development aspirations then please contact our planning team via enquiries@plainview.co.uk. Alternatively you can call us on 01242 501003 to see how we can best assist you, providing the site address and a brief overview of your project. We value your privacy and any information which you provide will not be shared outside of our company and will only be used in relation to your enquiry.

Content correct at the time of publication. For the most up-to-date advice or to discuss your project, please contact our team directly.