More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Two homes are to be built on the car park of the White Horse pub in Cranbrook.
The decision, which was made by a council officer, has stunned residents and angered the parish council.
Tunbridge Wells council approved an application from Cordage 22 Ltd and an officer made a delegated decision - without reference to the planning committee.
The decision has angered Cranbrook Parish Council which had objected to the scheme.
Parish chairman Kim Fletcher said: "Under the terms of the borough's agreement with the parishes, if the council is minded to make a decision contrary to the parish's recommendation, they are supposed to notify us and give us 72 hours to respond - they never did so."
Because they were not informed, the parish lost the chance to request that the decision be called in to committee or to suggest conditions that should be attached.
Cllr Fletcher said: "The car park is currently accessed from Carriers Road, but the application includes provision to make a new access for the houses from Rectory Lane, which is an unmade road. We would certainly want to have added a condition that the developer make that road up to standard."
There are also concerns about the loss of parking, which is at a premium in the town.
Cllr Fletcher said: "With the growing number of houses, parking is a problem especially at the peak school drop-off and pick-up times.
"The parish has only recently acquired the lease of the Carriers Road car park from the borough council because they were considering selling it off for housing.
"Displaced customers from the White Horse car park are going to put additional pressure on those parking places we have."
Permission has been granted for two, two-bedroom homes, each with two parking spaces, in a chalet bungalow style with dormer windows.
In his report the borough's planning officer said: "The council is currently unable to demonstrate a five-year land supply for housing - the April 2021 figure is 4.93 years."
He said: "Therefore, the council’s housing policies are considered out of date and the application has to be determined according to whether it would represent sustainable development."
He said: "The condition of Rectory Lane itself is a civil matter given its unadopted nature and is not a material consideration within this application."
A spokesman for Tunbridge Wells Borough Council said: "The application was determined in accordance with the requirement of the council’s constitution and the views of the parish council were considered as part of the process."
Cllr Fletcher was keen to point out that no blame should be attached to the current landlord of the White Horse, who had done "a wonderful" job renovating the pub and attracting new customers.
The pub car park had already been sold off separately before he moved in.
The White Horse has been a pub since at least 1881. Cranbrook has two others: The George Hotel and Larkins Ale House.
