News

Hawkinge Parish Council Chairman, David Callahan, is furious that Shepway council is proposing to sell one acre of land in the centre of the village for just £150,000.

The triangle of land adjacent to the rear of the Community Centre is designated in the Local Plan for social or community facility use, but the Shepway legal officer's comments in a report states that the purchasers, Edinburgh Lane Estates Limited, must obtain planning permission for a purpose other than a retail shop, church or public house.

Part of the site is currently used as a visitor car park for the Hawkinge Community Centre and the report states purchasers must agree to a permanent legal right to parking facilities for visitors to the centre.

Cllr Callahan thinks the land to be under priced and considers it could be worth as much as £400,000.

He angry too about the "clawback" agreement which allows the purchaser to sell the land within 5years and repay Shepway half of the profit, or to sell it after 5years and pay them nothing.

"The "clawback" period should be 25 years," said Cllr Callahan.

Shepway District Council have been trying to sell the land since 2001, but they say legal issues regarding shared parking have made the land difficult to market.

The sale will be discussed by Shepway's Cabinet on Wednesday (28 March).