Former Police station site to be redeveloped for 9 affordable dwellings

Tetlow King Planning (TKP) is delighted to have assisted in the recent planning approval for the redevelopment of the former police station site in Meopham, Kent. The scheme will see the existing properties demolished and replaced with 9 new dwellings.

The application site is adjacent, but not within, a conservation area with various trees along the boundaries that were desirable for retention within the scheme. The scheme proposed a traditional terrace of 5 dwellings along the site frontage, with a further terrace of 4 dwellings to the rear of the site in the design of a traditional barn

The application was supported by a viability appraisal to demonstrate that the scheme could not provide affordable housing in accordance with the development plan policy. However, a subsequent land deal was agreed whereby the entire site will now come forward by a local Housing Association to meet a clear and pressing need.

Due to the complexities of the land transfer deal, there was a late push to ensure that the legal agreement was completed, and a decision notice issued on a Friday to complete the purchase. The decision notice was issued just after 6pm and the land sale agreed shortly after 6:30pm.

Iain Warner, Director, said:

“We are all too quick to complain when the service we get from local planning authorities seems slow and tied up in bureaucracy. Putting aside the issues in getting to a scheme that was deemed acceptable, the efforts from the council to enable them to issue a decision after 6pm on a Friday just shows how cooperation is still alive to deliver real planning benefit.”

TKP acted as the planning agent and prepared, submitted and managed the planning application. The scheme was drawn up by Ubique Architects on behalf of McCulloch Homes – a team that TKP work alongside on numerous schemes across the South East.