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Frindsbury academy and homes plan dropped at Medway Council meeting at 11th hour

Controversial plans to build more than 100 homes and a secondary school have been put on hold.

Medway Council's planning committee has deferred a proposal to deliver 181 houses in Frindsbury, alongside a new academy for 1,150 pupils and a wedding venue.

A bird's eye view of what the school site and surrounding area could look like. Picture Bowmer and Kirkland
A bird's eye view of what the school site and surrounding area could look like. Picture Bowmer and Kirkland

It comes as the local authority received more than 40 letters of objection warning about more congestion and "overdevelopment" of housing in the area, including from local MP Kelly Tolhurst.

Commitee chairman Cllr Diane Chambers (Con) revealed the application had been taken off the agenda at the 11th hour on Wednesday night.

Her comments came during a meeting at St George's Centre in Chatham.

Cllr Chambers explained new information had come to light which needed to be scrutinised by officers before the plans could be publicly debated.

Describing the reasons, she added: "It has been deferred from this agenda due to information which has come in from English Heritage and other sources which are not properly dealt with in this agenda.

Cllr Diane Chambers
Cllr Diane Chambers

"The application will not be determined this evening."

The site, which is the size of 134 football fields, lies between A289 Berwick Way, Upnor Road, Parsonage Lane and A228 Frindsbury Hill.

The 181 homes – a quarter of which will be affordable – include houses, maisonette and also includes a scheme to convert the Grade I-listed Manor Farm Barn into a venue for weddings with up to 164 guests.

The barn, which could also be used as a conference facility, dates back to the 14th century.

If plans are approved, overnight accommodation with nine bedrooms would be created out of an old cow shed on the site.

An architect's impression of what the inside of the barn wedding venue could look like. Picture: Clague Architects
An architect's impression of what the inside of the barn wedding venue could look like. Picture: Clague Architects
An architect's impression of what the barn wedding venue could look like. Picture: Clague Architects
An architect's impression of what the barn wedding venue could look like. Picture: Clague Architects

It has been revealed the proposals are being put together jointly by Heritage Design & Development Team Ltd and the Department for Education.

The proposed school would consist of a three-story block with sports pitches and a sixth form and, if approved, be run by the secondary education site by the Thinking Schools Academy Trust.

The council’s planning department says there is an “immediate need” for the school and the homes would contribute to the area’s five-year housing supply.

They also said the conversion of the barn would secure the long-term conservation of the structure, which was previously blighted by a fire and anti-social behaviour.

Medway next planning committee meeting has been scheduled for September 15 from 6.30pm.

News from our universities, local primary and secondary schools including Ofsted inspections and league tables can be found here.

Read more: All the latest news from Medway

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