News

News that Shepway officers were recommending rejection of the plans for a Care Home on the employment land had been greeted with disbelief, but at tonight's meeting (20 November) of the planning committee, members threw out the officers' objections and the plans were given the go ahead.

After the applicant and the Chairmen of Hawkinge Parish Council, David Callahan and Swingfield's Colin Tearle, had spoken at the meeting, the committee voted 11-2 that the plans should be passed without conditions.

Cllr Callahan said: "I am really pleased with the result and am grateful that Colin Tearle also spoke up for the plans to go ahead.

"This is great news for the village who had said they wanted the facility and good to see the two parishes working together for the common good.

"I could not see any logic in the officers' arguments for rejecting the plans, in particular their call for more details of the increase in traffic on the A20/A260 roundabout which the home would generate.

"They also thought the Care Home would hinder development of the employment land."

Cllr Tearle said that the area had been designated employment land since 1991 and to date was occupied by just one supermarket and a public house. He said it was hard to understand why officers had tried to block the plans.

District Councillor David Godfrey, called it a "good result".