Esquire Developments to hold public consultation for mixed-use scheme in Hoo
Published: 11:59, 18 October 2023
Updated: 13:38, 18 October 2023
People are being asked for their views on proposals for 140 new homes on farmland.
Longfield-based firm Esquire Developments plans to build housing, commercial and office space, a children’s nursery and a cafe off Stoke Road, in Hoo.
Last year, Medway Council published The Hoo Development Framework as part of a public consultation on the future of the Peninsula and identified the proposed site for residential development.
The project is in its early stages but it is expected, if given the green light, the new homes would be a mixture of two to five bedrooms, a quarter of which will be affordable and some will be created for over 55-year-olds.
A spokesman for the property developer said it was also looking to include open spaces and play areas, biodiversity enhancements and improvements to public transport.
Next month, a consultation is being held to seek residents' views on the early ideas.
The spokesman added: “We will review all feedback and implement changes where we can, in order to create the most suitable scheme for all.”
The company recently launched a 35-home scheme called The Hollies, near High Hastlow, and elsewhere on the Hoo Peninsula, it has another development known as the Appleyard Quarter.
Esquire Developments is hosting its consultation event on Wednesday, November 8, from 1pm to 7.30pm, at City Way Health, Ratcliffe Highway, Hoo, ME3 8QB.
Many have opposed other plans to build homes on the Hoo Peninsula and the government pulled the plug on £170 million funding from its Housing Infrastructure Fund.
The money had been promised to Medway Council and was aimed at supporting development work needed to allow 12,000 homes to be built in the area.
The decision was made by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and was met with delight by Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst and ward and parish councillors, who had concerns about what had been planned.
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Alex Langridge