Decision to be made on controversial housing

Planning officers are recommending the scheme for approval

A decision is set to be made on whether controversial proposals for 134 homes in a rural part of Kent can go ahead.

Three parcels of land off Stoke Road, just outside Hoo, are the subject of a bid by Esquire Developments Ltd for a range of terraced, semi-detached and detached homes.

The plans include 29 two-bed, 77 three-bed and 18 four-bed homes along with 10 one-bed flats, as well as a nursery, community hub with a cafe, and commercial units.

A decision will be made by Medway Council's planning committee on Wednesday.

Six three-bed homes will be affordable rent properties and eight two-bed and 10 three-bed homes will be affordable properties.

Planning officers are recommending the scheme for approval, but say it is on the condition that 25% of the homes are affordable housing and £2.4m is pledged in developer contributions towards infrastructure improvements.

The proposals were put forward in December 2023 and received some objections from locals and the Hoo St Werburgh and Chattenden Parish Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Concerns included a lack of capacity in local infrastructure as well as limited youth facilities in the area.

They also said the estate would be heavily reliant on cars, which would add to problems of limited parking in Hoo town centre and congestion on the peninsula.

However, officers in the report said they believed the developer contributions would mitigate these problems, including £550,000 for highways improvements.

Officers argued the development would offer a range of new houses to residents on the peninsula which would fit in with local surroundings.