Years of wrangling over a controversial housing development look set to end next week, with Medway's planning committee set to approve the 450-home Gibraltar Farm development between Lordswood and Hempstead.
The site has been contentious for years, with nearly 800 members of the public objecting to the plans, along with various organisations and MPs. Previous versions of the plans have been refused in the past, but this version looks set to get the go ahead as Medway Council’s planning officers recommend it for approval.
The site’s 450 homes are a mix of types, from one-bedroom flats to five-bedroom houses, with 25% of them required to be affordable. Given its remote location, the plans also include a new retail parade, a nursery, open spaces, a potential bus loop, and new cycle and pedestrian connections.
Despite its proximity to Lordswood, under the initial proposals, the only vehicular access is via the Hempstead end of the development. This is largely due to previous Medway Council administrations refusing access on the Lordswood side, as they own a strip of required land and refused access to the developers. Whether the new administration will be more open to releasing the ‘ransom strip’ remains to be seen.
Concerns have been raised about the impact of traffic on the site's east side, particularly regarding the connection between the edge of Hempstead and Hoath Way. These areas regularly face traffic congestion already. To mitigate somewhat, the plans do include provision for additional lane capacity around Hoath Way and the M2 motorway junction and some minor improvements elsewhere, but they seem like the bare minimum that might be required.
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