Proposed A2 development refused planning permission

A controversial planning application for the former Shell garage site on the A2 has been refused by Medway Council’s Planning Committee.

Boundwell Ltd had applied to build a shop, hot food shop and two apartments on the site, but the Planning Committee ruled that the proposals would be detrimental to the area.

Councillors from Twydall and Rainham Central had spoken against the application before the committee decision refusing the application on the grounds that:

1. The proposed take away would be likely to encourage indiscriminate parking on the main A2 (a busy distributor road) in front of the site and in the general vicinity and this would prejudice conditions of highway safety on the A2 London Road. The proposal is therefore contrary to the provisions of Policy T1 of the Medway Local Plan 2003;
2. The proposed use would be prejudicial to the amenities of the locality by virtue of additional noise and disturbance, anti social behaviour, smells and inconvenience to local residents. This would be contrary to Policies R18, T1, BNE2 and BNE3 of the Medway Local Plan 2003; and
3. The proposal would be likely to generate an increased number of turning movements into and from the site onto the A2 London Road, where there has been an increase in vehicle numbers on the A2 since the former petrol Station closed, and this would add to the number of accidents in the area contrary to policies T1 and T2 of the Medway Local Plan 2003.

The application had been met by mixed responses, with 79 favourable comments and 56 comments against. 206 responses were?received?in total.

The Rainham Central Conservative councillors said that “we do realise that something has to be done with the site and also called for it be redesignated as housing” whilst Paul Clark MP thanked everyone who opposed the campaign.