FUMING neighbours have slammed plans to turn a four-bed home into 32 houses.
Cobham Lodge in Gravesend, Kent, could soon have 21 flats and 11 houses inside its boundary after a planning committee agreed to plans.
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The loss comes after horrified locals fought against an initial scheme to develop 64 homes on the same site a few years ago.
The application to transform the £1million house was first lodged in 2019, but denied. A second application for half the number of new homes was then sent through.
Now a planning committee has agreed construction should be allowed, something campaigners blasted as “disappointing” and “frustrating”.
The main four-bedroomed property will be divided into 10 flats while an outbuilding will be turned into two houses.
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Meanwhile an entire new building with 11 flats will be built along with eight semi-detached homes and one detached house.
The latest schemes for Cobham Lodge were talked over at Gravesham council’s planning committee where members decided to approve the move.
The bid was the only item to be chewed on at the meeting last week after it was called in for further checks by a councillor.
In their report, officers said it was “a sustainable form of development”.
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Five voted for it and four against – leaving locals at a loss of what to do next.
Campaigners have been lobbying against the move for Cobham Lodge – on Valley Drive – for years, and local resident David Gingell said it was “an extremely disappointing outcome for residents”.
Mr Gingell, who lives in Valley Drive, added: “On the planning website, objections were 10 to one against.
“This is from our council who claim to be ‘a listening council’. It makes you wonder.”
Leader of the opposition, Cllr Jordan Meade (Con) – who represented residents against the scheme – claimed the decision showed a “lack of interest” in their views.
He added: “Residents have had their concerns over traffic, the environment, the scale of this development and the pressure that it will put on existing infrastructure, simply ignored.
“I feel so sorry for the residents of Singlewell who have battled so hard against the overdevelopment of this plot over the past few years.
“It is hugely frustrating that once again we are seeing councillors approve schemes which fall so far short of what the people of Gravesham want and need. Our approach to planning needs to change.”
Cllr Helen Ashenden (Con), who represents Higham and Shorne ward, agreed saying the decision was “disappointing”.
She said: “I am saddened for the residents who have worked so hard to protect our local community from overdevelopment, only to have the council disregard their lived experience of the location.”
Despite 49 objections, the plans did receive two letters of support.
This was the third application to be submitted for Cobham Lodge since 2019 and was a copy of the previously rejected one.
Two years ago the same development was refused by councillors despite being recommended for approval by officers.
The move was blocked due to the layout and height of the buildings which were said to be “out of keeping with the character” of the area and would result in “overdevelopment”.
The decision was taken to the Planning Inspectorate who also dismissed the case in October.
However, the design and access statement stated that the inspector said the plans would not impact the character of the area, contrary to the councillors’ ruling.
The appeal was instead thrown out due to a lack of a completed section 106 agreement, where developers make a financial contribution to mitigate the impact of a project on the local community and infrastructure.
In the resubmission, the applicant said they were “keen” to make sure this was agreed and would pay a contribution of more than £55,000
Gravesham Borough Council has confirmed that the Head of Planning will need to put the final stamp of approval down subject to the finalisation of planning conditions and the completion of a section 106 legal agreement.
Local businessman Ravinder Shetra, who is behind the bid, did not wish to comment on the approval.
A spokesperson for Gravesham Borough Council, said: “A full debate took place at the Planning Committee, with members considering the submitted planning application in the context of the adopted Development Plan – and other material considerations such as the National Planning Policy Framework and the decision issued by the Government’s Planning Inspectorate.
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“While members raised concerns in relation to the impact of the proposal on the local highway network immediately adjacent to the site, these were not supported by the local highways authority (Kent County Council) or National Highways who are responsible for the strategic road network.”
This comes after Greenwich locals said their town is being “ruined” by newbuild homes and that the area will look like a “prison” if the scheme goes ahead.
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