A plan to put 96 homes next to a seafront hotel has one public group campagning against it – and now it has another one in favour.

The owners of the Imperial Hotel in Hythe - GSE - want to develop some of the gardens around the site in a development, tied to improvements to the hotel. As it stands, the Imperial is not viable, but GSE reckons the development will pay for the kind of things that will make it a going concern.

In the anti-corner, is a group promoted by former Imperial manager John Davis and stalwart campaigner David Plumstead. They say Hythe council should not have voted on the plans, as they were not in possession of the full facts; including a report from the Environment Agency.

Mr Plumsted added: “The canal is an ancient monument and the location and setting are as important as the water itself. Added to that, the area is covered by an LR9 policy which says it must be open access.

“There was also a very robust objection put in by the Council for the Protection of Rural England and English Heritage.

“The idea that this is vital to the hotel is an empty threat. Even if they were built all it would provide would be a slug of money – the business would still not be any more viable.

“Enabling developments are for listed buildings where there is no alternative - it is a last resort.”

Work together

But Caroline Chambers, who lives in Seabrook Road and is the chamber manager for Channel Chamber of Commerce, is setting up her own group to fight the hotel’s corner. She believes that, should the plan fail, the hotel would eventually close or be sold for flats and housing.

She said: “I’ve set up my own 'for’ camp, I just feel so strongly. I’m sick of people saying 'no’ all the time and it’s the same people.

“They are opposing any development and it is time people said 'yes’. It would be better if we said 'yes, but’ - we accept there is a need to build, let’s work together.”

Shepway council has a requirement for all developers to provide 30 per cent affordable housing. Mrs Chambers reckons this is behind some of the anger against the development.

“If they could put 50 executive homes on there it would be better but if they have to put 30 per cent affordable housing it has to be more intensive,” she said.

uE06E It should be noted that Nick Dowling, director of development at GSE, is on the board of the Channel Chamber.