Bungalow refused for former Avenue Tennis site between Second Avenue and Glebe Road in Gillingham

An application for another home on a controversial development site has been refused.

Medway Council’s planning committee has rejected plans for a bungalow to be built on Avenue Tennis Club’s former grounds in Glebe Road, Gillingham.

This comes weeks after the Secretary of State approved plans for six or seven homes to be built at the old club, despite huge opposition from local residents.

People protested the new builds by marching down nearby Second Avenue in August 2019.

The site has been subject to a number of applications in recent years.

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The plans had been turned down by Medway Council four times but permission was finally allowed on appeal on May 25.

This latest application, discussed at a meeting on June 7, would have brought the total number of homes to eight.

But the committee voted against the bungalow, on the grounds that it would be a “cramped form of development”.

Cllr Chrissy Stamp (Lab) said the new builds would be “garden grabbing” and would change the character of the area.

She said: “The approval of the application is already over development of the land, effectively amounting to ‘garden grabbing’.

“This is going to cause a significant increase in noise levels as these homes are being built in the back gardens of the surrounding proprieties.

“The cramped parking situation on street parking situation also means there is poor visibility for vehicles. This poses an unacceptable road safety risk.

“To add another dwelling would makes the area even more cramped and overbearing.”

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This marked the fifth planning application for the area since February 2019.

Cllr Adrian Gulvin (Con) was in favour of the bungalow as these types of homes are in short supply in Medway.

He said: “Increasingly our elderly population and those with disabilities and they are in desperate need for bungalows.

“The additional bungalow would be a significant plus factor.”

Planning inspector Dan Szymanski, who approved the previous applications on appeal, noted that in its Housing Delivery Test, Medway Council fulfilled 67% of its new build requirements over a three year period.

This shortfall was “significant” according to Mr Szymanski.

However Cllr Gary Ethridge (Cons) rejected the idea of eight buildings being built.

“This additional bungalow in an amenity space is a ploy to get eight properties onto the same site,” he said.

“They have also not proper drainage for the entire site which is still outstanding.”

Six of the councilors on the committee voted in favour of the additional bungalow which was outweighed by nine votes against.

The homes will be built alongside an access road from First Avenue and a patch of grass, flowers, bushes and trees.