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
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