More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A key planning meeting is to go ahead with changes to the way decisions are made.
Medway councillors were due to discuss plans for the conversion of Britain's oldest surviving hospital, in Rochester, and for a Lidl supermarket in Gillingham.
A number of applications are also due to be considered at the meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 1.
Both applications were previously discussed at the last planning committee meeting at Chatham's Gun Wharf on March 4, during which decisions were deferred for both.
But due to the government’s guidance on social distancing, the committee is being recommended to consider and agree an extension to the officer delegation scheme in relation to determining planning applications.
This means the meeting is still going ahead and if the recommendations are agreed, it is anticipated the committee will then refer most of the applications on the agenda to Richard Hicks, the director of place and deputy chief executive, to decide.
The St Bart's and Lidl applications may be deferred along with the other applications listed on the agenda.
Notification of the outcome of the decisions is due to be posted on the council's planning portal.
Applicants and those who have left comments on the decisions will also be notified.
All other meetings have been cancelled for the next three weeks.
The plans to convert St Bartholomew's Hospital in New Road into 155 new homes, were first unveiled in November.
Listed building consent was sought for the site, which was closed in September 2016, in order to pave the way for the redevelopment, which would see the establishment of flats and houses.
A decision on the application to build a Lidl supermarket in Gillingham has twice been delayed after rivals Tesco and Asda entered objection letters.
At the last meeting in March, councillors decided they wanted to know more about the possible impact on traffic, parking and the surrounding neighbourhood.
Among the other applications due to be considered are plans to convert a boat storage yard in Upnor into six three-bedroom terraced houses and the development of an extra-care facility in St Andrews Park, Halling.
Developers want to build 88 apartments on the site, which would also include a restaurant, office and a retail unit, on disused land next to the development of 385 homes off the A228.
Applications on the agenda also include a 24-hour kitchen delivery service next to Rochester Airport
The application made on behalf of Wren Kitchens Ltd proposes a distribution site including a portacabin office to facilitate the bulk deliveries of kitchens.
Under the plans, there would also be access improvements to Stoney Lane and Rochester Lane to accommodate delivery vehicles.
