Y16/0866/SH No New Second Homes For DFL’s.

To a packed public gallery, Y16/0866/SH – Redlynch House, 19 Hillcrest Road Hythe, was refused planning permission to knock down the current house and replace it with a block of nine flats, pictured below.

Cllr Susie Govett (UKIP) (pictured) commented on what would replace Redlynch house as “flats for single DFL’s (down from London) and bought up as second homes and not for local people.” – Voted to refuse permission

Cllr Dick Pascoe (Con) – commented that it wasn’t your usual “chocolate box which so often comes to planning” and that he “liked the design” even though the objectors did not – Voted to approve permission

Cllr Mary Lawes (UKIP) raised – according to our public face – the most important question relating to Redlynch House, that being “why had Cllr Monk given no reasons or grounds why he had called it in. I am told by (SDC) planning officers that I must give reasons and grounds for calling in planning application.” Voted to refuse permission.

Lisette Patching from Planning had “no idea” as to why Cllr Monk did not give any reasons or grounds for calling it in. More often than not it is Ward Cllrs who “call in” the decision to place it before the committee. Cllr Monk is not the ward Cllr, Malcolm Dearden is.

Cllr Dearden eloquently put the objectors case, as did Mr Miles put his case to have permission granted. It is known all Cllrs received a rather glossy brochure, we hope they all declared this “lobbying”  (pictured)

Cllr Michael Lyons made it clear that Mr Miles ought to have a “long chat with planning” as so much was wrong with the design and the encroachment. Voted to refuse permission.

Cllr Alan Ewart James had viewed the house from every possible street in Hythe and even from a car park and felt that a new 3 storey house would have no more visual impact than St Leonards church which “we’ve all got used to” so didn’t see the fuss or concerns that the objectors had. Voted to approve permission

In the end the vote was conclusive, Mr Miles will not get the opportunity to knock down the current house and replace it with the design conjured up by the architects

After the meeting our public face spoke in person to Mr Miles, who made allegations that in the original article the word “scum” was used by someone who commented.  That simple is not so, nor has ever been so, as you can see for yourselves.

And he offered our public face better images of himself. Anyway, our public face offered him an introduction to an objector and informed him he’d be more successful in his second bid for planning permission, if he worked with the objectors to come up with a design which satisfied everyone. Thankfully, Mr Miles engaged with the objector and we hope that it is the beginning of something new, something beautiful.

In the end the planning committee rejected permission to knock down the current house and  rebuild with the new design.  So is the planning and licensing committee corruptible? On this occasion it would appear not.

One final offering, the debacle which surrounded the decision about the Airport Cafe at Sellindge on the A20, has been deferred again, and after three years still doesn’t have planning permission, yet continues to operate even after one death has been caused.

The Shepwayvox Team