The notice above is a planning application for a high wall and gate at the entrance to Watt's meadow. It reads,
'Medway Council has received a planning application for construction of wall and vehicular access gates to front of former Priestfields Nursery.'
At WI on Wednesday 1st December, I drew this alarming new development to the attention of residents and yesterday they sent emails of protest. This resulted in an immediate response from planning officer Simon Fowler saying,
'I hope I can provide some clarification to the situation. The proposed development does not include gates, only provide a boundary wall to the entrance to the new residential development. I have attached the relevant drawing that shows the proposal in more detail.
For your information, an incorrect site notice has been erected opposite the site, but unfortunately the poor weather has meant that I have been unable to affix a revised correct site notice. Hopefully if the snow clears over the weekend I'll be able to get a new one up at the start of next week.'
It seems amazing to us that someone should propose a gate by mistake! Nonetheless, we are delighted that we have drawn attention to this and have a clear assurance from Simon Fowler that it will be removed.
Please continue to register your opposal to the high wall and express relief that the proposed gate was an error. The plans for the wall look like a folly: a grandiose marketing tool for prestigious houses rather than an entrance to an area of natural beauty. We need to work together as a community and protect our green spaces! Pass on this information to friends and neighbours so that our collective voice is heard on this issue.
Thanks to everyone who has been involved so far. This demonstrates that action on a local level really can have positive consequences.
Please copy email correspondence to Derek Munton or Sarah Hehir so we have a record of objections to the plans for the wall: closing date is 10th December! If you want a copy of the plans please email Sarah Hehir and I will send an attachment.
Officer dealing with case : Simon Fowler
Medway council
Dock Road
ME4 4TR
Phone 01634 33 10 18
Application number MC/10/3871
Ring 409486 831452
Email derekmunton@aol.com hehirsarah@yahoo.co.uk
Wall and vehicular access gates included in application by mistake. Easy done. Perhaps he meant to write flowers in planters along wall but mistyped maybe a spellingmistake that spellcheck missed. Who knows? We always give Medway the benefit of the doubt by assuming they are quite simpy incompetent but how did they get this wrong? The mistery is what is going on at Medway's planning office? Are Medway trying to work to the benefit of the developer but they can't even do that competently?
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