White Lion Redevelopment Rejected by Shepway Council

Local residents were delighted last night plans for the redevelopment of the White Lion site on the junction of Cheriton High Street and Chilham Road, Folkestone, was rejected by Shepway Development Control 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.

Cheriton Councillor Tim Prater spoke on behalf of Folkestone Town Council. The Town Council supported the basic application, but had strong concerns about the impact of parking on local residents. Local residents were also represented by local resident Michelle Baines who spoke against the development due to the increased pressure in would put on parking locally.

Michelle outlined the horrendous difficulties of parking in Chilham Road now, with many local residents forced to park streets away.

The developer had made a number of changes to the scheme from the initial application including inclusion of CCTV and a 24 hour on site concierge in the student accommodation which were welcomed, but the issue of the impact on parking was not felt to have been sufficiently addressed. Councillor Prater said:

"Folkestone Town Council has considered this application, and wants to be clear that it has difficulties with this development only regarding the implications for parking for local residents.

"Chilham Road has 24 houses, none of which have off-road parking or garages.

"Although this new development contains 11 parking paces, these will be behind security controlled gates and access strictly controlled. It is likely therefore that the four houses in the development that face Chilham Road will only be permitted access for one car most of the time, and any additional cars for those houses will be parked on the street.

"Equally, the development requires the creation of a 3.4 m wide access road to the rear parking area which does not currently exist off Chilham Road, which will in itself reduce the amount of parking available in Chilham Road.

"The development already passed by this Committee in 2005 on the other side of the road already introduces 19 new flats and houses into the area, with 21 new parking spaces.

"Crucially however, in that development, 6 houses are built in a run on Chilham Road, each of which have their parking spaces at the front of the houses, therefore reducing significantly one area of existing on street parking, as it would otherwise block access to those houses parking.

"Chilham Road already has significant parking issues, and the effect of these developments taken together will hugely worsen the situation.

"The Town Council's view is not that the total number of spaces are too low for the development itself, but that the development will cause still more pressure on the current difficult parking for other local residents. With some creative thinking, this development could help improve the situation, not worsen it."