Locals are furious about the plan to turn the house into 32 homes after a five-year battle
FUMING neighbors have rejected plans to turn a four-bed house into 32 homes.
Cobham Lodge in Gravesend, Kent, could soon have 21 flats and 11 houses within its boundary after a planning committee agreed to the plans.
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The loss comes after shocked locals fought against an initial plan to develop 64 houses on the same site a few years ago.
The application to transform the £1 million home was first submitted in 2019 but was rejected. A second application for half the number of new-build homes was then forwarded.
Now a planning committee has decided that the construction should be allowed, something campaigners described as 'disappointing' and 'frustrating'.
The four-bedroom main house will be divided into ten apartments, while an outbuilding will be converted into two houses.
In the meantime, a completely new building is being built with 11 apartments, eight semi-detached houses and one detached house.
The latest plans for Cobham Lodge were discussed at Gravesham Town Council's planning committee, where members decided to approve the move.
The bid was the only item chewed over at last week's meeting after it was called for further scrutiny by a councilor.
In their report, officers said it was “a sustainable form of development”.
Five voted in favor and four against, leaving the local population unsure of what to do next.
Campaigners have been lobbying against the move to Cobham Lodge – on Valley Drive – for years and local resident David Gingell said it was “an extremely disappointing outcome for residents”.
Mr Gingell, who lives in Valley Drive, added: “On the planning website, objections were 10 to one against.
“This comes from our council claiming to be 'a listening council'. It makes you wonder.”
Opposition Leader Cllr Jordan Meade (Con) – who represented residents against the plan – claimed the decision showed a “lack of interest” in their views.
He added: “Residents' concerns about traffic, the environment, the scale of this development and the pressure it will place on existing infrastructure are simply being ignored.
“I feel so sorry for the residents of Singlewell who have fought so hard against the overdevelopment of this site in recent years.
“It is hugely frustrating that we are once again seeing councilors approve plans that fall so far short of what the people of Gravesham want and need. Our approach to planning needs to change.”
Cllr Helen Ashenden (Con), who represents the Higham and Shorne ward, agreed the decision was “disappointing”.
She said: “I am saddened for the residents who have worked so hard to protect our local community from overdevelopment, but the council has ignored their experiences of the site.”
Despite 49 objections, the plans received two letters of support.
This was the third application submitted for Cobham Lodge since 2019 and was a copy of the previously rejected application.
Two years ago, the same development was vetoed by councilors despite being recommended for approval by officials.
The move was blocked due to the layout and height of the buildings, which “did not fit the character” of the area and would result in “overdevelopment”.
The decision was made at the Planning Inspectorate, which also dismissed the case in October.
However, the design and development statement stated that the inspector said that, contrary to the councilors' statement, the plans would have no impact on the character of the area.
The appeal was instead dismissed due to the lack of a completed section 106 agreement, in which developers make a financial contribution to mitigate a project's impact on the local community and infrastructure.
In the resubmission, the applicant said he was “keen” to ensure this was approved and would pay a contribution of more than £55,000.
Gravesham Borough Council has confirmed that the Chief Planning Officer will have to give the final stamp of approval, subject to the finalization of planning conditions and the completion of a section 106 legal agreement.
Local businessman Ravinder Shetra, who is behind the bid, declined to comment on the approval.
A spokesperson for Gravesham Borough Council said: “An extensive debate took place within the Planning Committee, with members considering the submitted planning application in the context of the adopted development plan – and other material considerations such as the National Planning Policy Framework and the decision issued by the Government's Planning Inspectorate.
“Although members raised concerns about the impact of the proposal on the local road network immediately adjacent to the site, these were not supported by the local highway authority (Kent County Council) or National Highways, who are responsible for the strategic road network. ”
This comes after locals in Greenwich said their town is being “ruined” by new-build housing and the area will look like a “prison” if the plan goes ahead.
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