Response to Arpenteur Nightingale

Arches Chatham Neighbourhood Forum (ACNF) has championed the redevelopment of this site through our emerging Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) – which has material weight – and our ‘Heart of Chatham’ project. 

Below, we outline our primary concerns regarding Arpenteur Nightingale proposals for the former Go Outdoors site:

• Our calculations show the proposed density as approximately 327.3 dwellings per hectare (dph), exceeding the recommended scale outlined in Zone 1 of the NDP, which indicates a density range of 100-250 dph. The proposed density would set a concerning precedent and does not align with developments on comparable sites in the centre of Chatham, such as Chatham Waterfront, Garrison Point and Queen Street Car Park.
• The proposed maximum building height of 12 storeys is double the NDP’s stipulated maximum of 6 storeys. We note that nearby consented developments were required to significantly reduce their building heights – namely Trafalgar Centre from 11 storeys to 9 storeys (outside the NDP boundary) and Queen Street Car Park from 11 storeys to 7 storeys (approved prior to the NDP benefitting from material weight).
• Given the scale of development, the provision of affordable housing is paramount. We are troubled by the absence of any mention of affordable housing in the proposals and the lack of clarity regarding its integration into the development. The NDP emphasises the need for tenure blind housing.
• The proposed design fails to reflect the valued characteristics identified by our community and subsequently set out in our Design Code (Appendix A of the NDP). Instead, it represents a generic New London vernacular that does not resonate with Chatham’s unique identity and urban form. 
• We question the appropriateness of the large quantity of ‘flexible commercial space’ proposed, in light of Medway Council’s intention to remove the site from the Chatham Town Centre boundary.
• We struggle to understand how ‘improvements’ to links with the Great Lines Heritage Park are claimed given no new pedestrian or cycle access is provided through the site from the High Street to Cross Street.
• We seek clarity from Arpenteur Nightingale on their commitment to delivering improvements beyond the site boundary as depicted, such as the ‘plaza/meeting point’ outside The White Lion pub and ‘potential new crossing’ at The Brook/Union Street junction. Any ambiguity regarding the responsibility and funding of such improvements could mislead stakeholders.

We strongly encourage Arpenteur Nightingale to engage in genuine dialogue with our community to address concerns, and to work collaboratively towards a development that aligns with the vision and needs of our community.