Tenterden Town Council’s Planning Committee, at their meeting on Tuesday, 4th May, received presentations by two potential developers: Aspire LLP and Esquire Developments.
Aspire LLP presented a proposal for a 64-bed care home to be located on a brownfield site in St Michaels, just past St. Michaels & All Angels Church on the opposite side of the road, which would replace two detached houses. It will cater for the very elderly and have dementia provision. Residents would be non-drivers, and no pets would be allowed. In their presentation, Aspire said that they were committed to minimise the impact of the development on the ancient woodland surrounding the property. https://www.aspire-lpp.co.uk/
Esquire Developments presented a proposal for 30 homes on the land behind Westwell Court, where currently another developer has an application lodged to build a 56-bed care home plus 23 assisted living units.
Esquire’s representatives said that their ethos focusses on the design element of their properties, bespoke to the area in which they are situated. Given the awareness of the sensitive ecology and veteran trees located on the site, as well as the various public rights of ways, Esquire said that they were only looking at building on approx. 2.5 hectares of the land, with the possibility of gifting the remaining approx. 6.8 hectares to the Town Council as public open space. http://www.esquiredevelopments.com/
Both developers have been through the pre-application process prior to speaking to the Town Council. Under the Town Council’s Developer Policy, Town Councillors were restricted to asking only factual questions on the presentation. Fuller discussions will take place once the developers have lodged planning applications.