Otterpool Park: Outline Planning Application for 8,500 homes granted
Yesterday, 4 April 2023, the Outline Planning application for 8,500 homes at Otterpool Park was granted by 7 votes to 5, by Folkestone & Hythe District Council’s planning committee.
The Otterpool journey began on the 8 Jan 2016, when we first let the cat out the bag on the Council purchasing land from the Champney Brothers for £5m. However, the intention of the Council to develop the site with housing began earlier than the purchase of the land in Dec 2015, as the emails between Andy Jarrett, (pictured) then Head of Strategic Development Projects at SDC (now FHDC) and a Savills employee makes clear.
The next morning Andy, who now heads up the Council’s company Otterpool Park LLP, who are the master developer, received the following response from Savills:
From here on in the die was cast. Regardless of the Reuben Brothers involvement. Regardless of all the property bought, and purchase of the castle for £2.9m, plus the racecourse for £25m, the simple email exchange told you everything you need to know.
The vote by the planning committee on the 4 April 2023 was as follows:
For
Cllr Clive Goddard (Con), Cllr Ann Berry (Con), Cllr Patricia Rolfe (Con), Cllr Tony Hills (Con), Cllr Danny Brook (Ind), Cllr Philip Martin (Ind), Cllr Terence Mullard (UKIP)
Against
Cllr Jackie Meade (Lab), Cllr Nicola Keen (Lab), Cllr John Wing (Green), Cllr Jim Martin (Green), Cllr Gary Fuller (Lib Dem)
Along the way Cllr David Monk, with his offshore bank account, lied about Otterpool and the Council’s intentions to develop it. Monk’s statement in 2016
“We [the Council] bought Otterpool Manor Farm before Christmas (2015) as a strategic purchase. We had no plans for the site other than a tenanted farming operation to earn some income,”
This was a lie. And it didn’t stop there, as he lied again when he said nothing had been spent on Otterpool.
There is much more which can be said about Otterpool, but for those of you who wish to know what was said at the meeting, you can watch it below.
The Shepway Vox Team
Not owned by Hedgefunds or Barons
Cllr Philip Martin once a Tory always a Tory .
Remember him on May 4th
All right thinking residents of FHDC are concerned about the impact Otterpool will have on their quality of life.for years to come.
Let’s make sure these Conservatives who brought this about are left in no doubt about the fact that Otterpool is NOT needed.Sellindge is spoiled already without more houses.If Hollingsbee stands again vote her out.
Make sure these Tory Liars are voted out on May4th.Get a new council to overturn the decision to build a sprawling town on our countryside.
All housing is “affordable” if you can afford the deposit and the mortgage payments, or if you have dirty money to launder. A question of affordable to whom?
What a wonderful MP we have…
Damian Collins acts and speaks like a true apparatchik, concerning himself with his salary and pension pot. Of course, he lied when said central government supported Otterpool. He forgot to mention about the Housing Infrastructure Fund being knocked back.
And let’s not forget the UKIP councillor idiot from Dymchurch who said Otterpool will not affect his parish. God help us.
@slurry-kent
One of the arguments now being put forward for Otterpool is that it means other areas will not need to have development. This ignores the fact that locals families in these villages may wish to stay in their village, rather than be pushed into a town further away. Monk enthusing about a High Speed link from Westenhanger shows the true purpose, it is to be a commuter town. A fast link to London gives no incentive to investors to provide jobs, shopping and recreation/entertainment.
A rough calculation shows this monstrosity to be about 720 hectares. That is an incredible half the size of Folkestone, less the western part of Sandgate and Capel-le-Ferne. That took 200 years of gradual development, and yet this deluded fantasy is going to mushroom in the space of a few years. Where is the evidence that the people of Folkestone want or need this, let alone have had a say in it? Instead it is clearly a for-profit stitch up led by Cllr Monk (about whom the less said the better), the council and the developers, led by the ‘we-need-to-be-reelected-at-any-cost’, spineless, deluded government.
I can state for a fact that in a ten minute debate with Cllr Monk about the justifications for this scheme, I could beat him hands down (I was trained as an architect, whereas I believe he was a secondary glazing salesman, great qualifications for pushing through scheme of this size). In an hour I would likely annihilate his paper-thin justifications.
But then what chance has reason against greed?
Oh dear, how can Cllrs Goddard and Hills vote for this, they both represent the Walland & Denge Marsh Ward, how does Otterpool represent their ward, oh, sorry they are both conservative councillors, so must follow their leader, and don’t get me started on the Cllrs Brook, Martin and Mullard, Independents and UKIP, don’t make me laugh, these are conservative under a camouflaged persona, stop taking the electorate for fools! You, hopefully will suffer in the upcoming elections.
@proudmarshman
You have summed up this rotten Monk lead Conservative council so well.Time to boot them out on May4th.No Otterpool then.
Wouldn’t Cllr Monk appearing on BBC SE this evening be a breach of pre-election period rules?
@CG
Monk appearing on BBCSE was quite amusing . His grasp of the English language was very working class not what one would expect from a greedy little Tory .
Come the 4th of May Get Out and vote the Tories Out
Not surprising really. Hewas a failed double glazing salesman who decided we need 8500:houses on the old racecourse. Vote him and his Tory supporters on May 4th
The Tories on the planning committee predictably voted along party lines (and they say local government planning is supposed to be apolitical).
What a joke.
In my circle of friends and relatives most will not/no longer vote Convservative in the forthcoming local elections, mainly due to Otterpool Park and maladministration of the council.
Most glad to hear the Conservatives will no longer get your vote because of Otterpool.Let’s hope all right minded folk think like that on May4th
The residents of Folkestone and Hythe have had more than enough of Monk and his Conservative puppets .
Think Princes Parade and Otterpool.
On May4th,strike back show them no mercy for their arrogance.Elect a listening Council instead
Voting seems to be useless as who ever gets in do not understand what is really going on. Somehow or other they get persuaded. Just look at the fraud going on in the USA with their voting. Votes even being stollen by vote rigging outfit smartmatic. Similar rigging is going on in all elections. Unfavourable ballots being binned or lost.
@Colin
Monk has jumped from the Folkestone Central ward to Downs East, presumably because he believes he has a greater chance of staying in power.
When it come to public works Vienna has awesome mid-high rise council estate with tennis courts and a swimming pool. They make good use of a small space with most on the amenities people need to live. I can’t ever see this happening in UK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6DBKoWbtjE&ab_channel=Channel4Documentaries