An architect, planner and lecturer on planning law is calling on Gravesham council to reconsider a scheme for 242 flats, which he believes will be a "tragic mistake for the town."

Last month the council approved plans for The Charter, consisting of three blocks of flats ranging from three to 10 storeys on the Market Square and Horn Yard car parks in Gravesend, which form part of the long-awaited regeneration of the town's Heritage Quarter.

But while the scheme has been lauded as a "unique and sustainable development" that would contribute to the overall regeneration of Gravesend, others fear it will have detrimental impact on the character of the town.

Among them is Martin McKay, an architect and planner who runs his own Building Heritage consultancy business and lectures on planning law as it applies to built heritage at the University of Kent.

Mr McKay wrote to councillors before permission was approved to voice his fears, stating The Charter would loom over Queen Street Conservation Area and be visible from many parts of the town, blocking existing views of historic areas such as the tower of St George's Church.

He stressed that preserving heritage was vital, and laid out a new vision for town centre development.

"Retail as we know it has gone," he wrote. "The town centre needs a new role. It can have this by playing to its strengths as an attractive sub regional centre with a unique and interesting history and an outstanding riverside setting.

"Amidst the mass of new development envisaged as a part of the wider Thames Gateway/Ebbsfleet Garden City project, Gravesend can still maintain its identity as a special place, a place of history and culture in contrast to the new development springing up all around. It will have a role as a heritage quarter that could attract residents from the many tens of thousands of new homes within the wider area to the pubs, restaurants, speciality and local shops of the town centre, as well as to ethnic stores and to everyday goods stores.

"Regeneration benefits will only accrue from sympathetic development that is broadly in scale and in keeping with the town’s existing character. The town centre’s historic character will bring its own economic and social benefits and is the best basis for a healthy and vital long-term future. However, this future could so easily be destroyed by ill-advised and out-of-scale development."

In his letter he warned the council to separate its role as developer from its role as Local Planning Authority, but the scheme was nevertheless granted permission on December 21, after councillors were advised the proposal would offer a significant contribution to housing need.

A report to the planning committee noted consideration had been given to a number of other factors, from design and character to sustainability, open space, highways impact, parking, and financial considerations, and recommended granting permission.

But this week, with permission now granted, Mr McKay reiterated his call, stating he believed the council will "come to its senses."

He added: "It’s a council development on a council site to build, not affordable council flats, but flats to rent on the open market to make a profit for the council. This product - called Build-to-Rent, is a risky one, especially on this scale. It’s a new and untested product in Gravesend.

"It should also be noted that other councils have recently gone down the route of acting as their own developers - with disastrous results."

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