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The definition of noisy neighbours could be redefined in Chatham after councillors passed plans to build a seven-storey block of flats behind a popular nightclub.
Medway Council’s planning committee approved Michael Folb’s application for 35 one and two-bedroom apartments at the former Pentagon Motors site on the New Cut Industrial Centre by nine votes to four on Wednesday, April 24.
Concerns were raised regarding the noise generated by the nearby Tap N Tin nightclub and the neighbouring New Road flyover, despite the applicant including winter gardens in an attempt to mitigate against such nuisances.
Speaking as neighbouring ward councillor, Cllr Vince Maple, said: “I recognise the applicant has tried his very best, but I cannot support a housing scheme coming forward which has got in-built problems for the future.
“It’s a positive that we’re adding more leisure to that community as well (The Fire Station Cafe), but that brings more hustle and bustle and further impacts on residents potentially in this area.”
The applicant reworked the plans four times to develop a noise solution deemed acceptable by council officers, although this still did not satisfy all members.
Cllr Martin Potter (Con) added: “If the apartments were already there, would you then permit a nightclub?
"No, you wouldn’t - well, I certainly wouldn’t. That is an issue that I don’t think can be resolved.”
Others raised questions about the lack of affordable housing or section 106 contributions - where developers put money towards local services such as GP surgeries - within the proposal, but were told the “exceptional circumstances” around the site made this impossible.
These include the site being adjacent to Grade-II* listed Church of St John the Divine, sitting above a Victorian sewer, and having contamination from its former use as a garage.
Cllr Gary Etheridge (Con) described the “abysmal” proposal as having a “post-war Soviet design”, before suggesting it could detract from the “high-quality” homes built at Chatham Waterfront.
He added: “Why would we want to spoil it by putting a boil of a building right in the middle of everything we’re trying to promote Chatham to be?”
But it was the future of the town centre which acted as the catalyst for the project getting approval, with chairman Cllr Diane Chambers (Con) telling members: “If you do (support regeneration), you need to support this application.”
Cllr Adrian Gulvin (Con) concluded: “If we want to seriously regenerate our town centres, we’ve got to accept that some of the designs and accommodation will not be as perhaps we would have liked in the past.
“It may be less than ideal, but that’s the real world we’re living in.
“We need to get more people living in our town centres if we want our high streets and town centres to be viable again.”
An application to develop the site was brought forward in 2016, but was later withdrawn due to “significant concerns” in relation to design and impact.
