An application accused of destroying a “quiet country lane” on the outskirts of a village has been granted approval
Medway Council gave permission for a 75-home development land off Stoke Road(Image: )
An application accused of destroying a “quiet country lane” on the outskirts of a village has been granted approval. Medway Council gave permission for a 75-home development land off Stoke Road on the edge of Hoo St Werburgh, on the Hoo Peninsula last week (January 14).
The scheme was proposed by Dean Lewis Estates Ltd for a three-hectare site on the east of the village in April last year. On the other side of the road is a 100-home scheme which has already been approved and is being delivered by Jones Homes.
Another Jones Homes estate is directly adjacent to the proposed site, with 65 homes, which was approved in July 2018. The proposals would see the demolition of very high frequency (VHF) masts – which includes a tall radio transmitter which is now redundant – and other buildings on the three-hectare site.
A total of £1.6million of developer contributions has also been included as a condition for approval of the scheme, for infrastructure improvements. This includes £17,000 towards Hoo Library, £23,350 to Hoo Leisure Centre, £142,000 for nurseries and nearly £600,000 for schools.
Another condition is for a Second World War pillbox on the site to be sold to the parish council for £1. The site has been allocated for residential development in the draft local plan which has been submitted to the government for approval.
Ward member Cllr Michael Pearce (IndGr) opposed the application, saying the nearby area had seen a huge increase in development which had “destroyed” it. He said: “Stoke Road in Hoo used to be a quiet and beautiful country lane, with farming activities and orchards on both sides. But since 2016, we’ve seen the continuous erosion of local identity, with intensive development destroying this attractive part of the village.
“The scale of intensive development along Stoke Road so far, around 700 houses, equals the village of High Halstow, all built along a single country lane. Stoke Road, once the beating heart of Hoo’s farming community, has been totally destroyed.”
He compared the area with the nearby Bells Lane, which had also seen development over the past decade.
He said pedestrians and motorists found Bells Lane “an absolute nightmare” because “no sufficient road-safety improvements” had been made to match the level of house-building.
Cllr Pearce added: “We are seeing the same mistakes happening again with the intensive development of Stoke Road and zero improvement to the immediate highway.”
He said he had asked Medway Council for a road safety audit as the current path on one side of Stoke Road is not wide enough to accommodate a pram or wheelchair.
However, he said he had not received a response of when, or even if, it was going to be done.
Cllr Phil Filmer (Con) agreed with Cllr Pearce that the current pavements were insufficient and needed to be looked at.
He said: “I am a bit mindful of the footpath. It will be very well used because of the surgery and the shops and everything else. The officers were going to look into if we could get some enhancements to the pavements; that needs looking at – it is dangerous in places.”
However officers said during their assessments they had visited the area around the site and seen the path used by people with prams without problems.
Cllr Eddie Peake (Lab) did question whether the officers were saying the pavement was wide enough for two prams to pass one another, or just enough for a pram and a person to pass by.
The officer said he couldn’t be certain two prams could pass one another as he hadn’t observed that situation, nor had measured the width with that in mind, but he believed there was adequate space.
The application was ultimately approved with 13 votes for and two against.
Cllr Adrian Gulvin (Con) said the scheme was necessary to meet the Towns’ housing need. He added: “With the existing buildings and the VHF mast on the site, it’s almost a brownfield site – perhaps we could call it a light brownfield site.
“It’s adjacent to existing developments and the 75 units will make a good contribution to our housing numbers.
“If we are to build the amount of housing we need here in Medway, we have to accept we will lose some agricultural land – there’s no other way to do it.”
