Local planners are considering an application to build the residential development shown in this drawing.
In my mind, the description ‘carbuncle’ seems very apt. It’s too big and bulky for the site, the ‘ship-like’ references in the design is in rather poor taste (placing a residential development here will likely contribute to keeping vessels out of the area), and it is not at all in keeping with the commercial and industrial sites all around.
In addition, the Faversham Creek Trust folks say it will compromise the work of their boatbuilding apprentice school by eliminating moorings and because complaints from residents could easily lead to the school having to be closed. The small building behind the proposed flats is the Trust’s school premises.
Trust officials add that the proposed development is in conflict with local planning aims, which commits the authorities to ‘specifically encourage the regeneration of the creek basin for commercial and tourism purposes, including use of the basin and its wharfage for historic craft. Planning permission will not be granted for proposals that would result in the loss of land or buildings suitable for employment uses’.
That should be enough to see this project thrown out, I hope. However the deadline for objections is the 29th of this month. If you get a chance, please sign the petition against the development or post your objection on the Swale Borough Council site here.
The planning department should throw it out on the basis that a Mississippi Showboat is totally inappropriate to the town’s vernacular architecture!
So far only 54 signatures … come on people !!
What a mess, whose sad mind came up with that crackpot idea.
G’day Gavin
William. From this distance, and after looking at the site on Google earth, it would seem to me that the ‘show boat’ has been sited thus precisely to ensure that the school will be closed. It’s disappointing that you have so few signatures, the developers must have been fairly sure of a positive outcome to go as far as they have with something so obviously tasteless and out of place.