Shock Update: White Lion Vote "Not A Decision" Say Shepway Council

In a shock move, the White Lion Development on Cheriton High Street / Chilham Road will go back before the Development Control Committee AGAIN as Shepway Council Officers claim the vote at the Development Control meeting on Wednesday 9th October was NOT a decision!.

Local residents were delighted when Councillors voted against a motion on favour of passing the plans for the redevelopment of the White Lion site due to concerns on the impact on parking locally. The plans were for a block for accommodation for 16 students plus 4 terraced houses on Chilham Road.

But the following day, Council Officers decided that voting AGAINST an motion FOR a development was not the same as rejecting it - and have called the application back for reconsideration at the next Development Control Meeting.

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater, who spoke at the meeting, was stunned at the decision. He said:

"The vote seemed entirely clear to me, to the local residents in the room who witnessed it, and to the Councillors voting themselves, none of who questioned it at the time.

"There was a motion in favour of the development - and it was defeated. The proposed development in that form did not have the support of the committee due to parking concerns. The Chair and Council Officers accepted that, there was no move to have any other vote, and the session moved on to the next application.

"To then come back the next day and say the decision must be taken again brings the decision making process into disrepute. There were plenty of experienced Councillors and staff members at that meeting - how did they all get it wrong? How does the Council explain this to local residents and the press who were all completely clear what the decision was - only to be told it wasn't?

"It's a complete shambles."