Otterpool Park (Garden Village) Expression of Interest submitted by SDC.
EXCLUSIVE
Shepway District Council submitted their bid for an expression of interest in a Garden Village on Friday 17th June 2016. A senior salaried SDC employee let this slip in a conversation our public face had with them.
So what does this mean? Well the criteria are as follows:
1 – proposals must be for a new settlement of 1,500 – 10,000 homes.
With the acreage roughly around a 707 hectares = (approx) 1750 acres . 30% has to be green space, so that leaves 1325 acres. 85 hectares or roughly 210 acres will be given over to an light industrial park, so that leaves 1115 acres. Meaning that between 450ha for new housing, infrastructure, schools, shops, etc and green infrastructure. At densities similar to those planned for NW Bicester which is probably what DCLG is looking for, that would give you 6500 homes. (these are estimates only).
If SDC want to squeeze 12,000 homes in, there will have to be more land grab or a lot less green than they are thinking.
2 – . The garden village must be a new discrete settlement, and not an extension of an existing town or village. This does not exclude proposals where there are already a few existing homes.
3 – To support wider housing and growth ambitions, expressions of interest must be led by local authorities. We also welcome expressions of interest which include support from private sector developers and/or landowners.
So the Reuben brothers land (Folkestone Racecourse) can and will be included.
4 – They should also set how the local community is being, or will be, engaged at an early stage, and strategies for community involvement to help ensure local support.
So far the local community has not be engaged one iota. And Cllrs Carey & Hollingsbee continue to evade talking to their community.

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