Medway Local Plan (Regulation 18, 2023)

In addition to the sites assessed under the Land Availability Assessment Interim Report (September 2023), our client (Telereal Securitised Property GP Limited) would like to inform the Council that their land holding at the Medway Telephone Exchange, Best Street, Chatham, ME4 4AB, will become available for residential-led redevelopment during the Medway Local Plan 2040 plan period. As set out in our separate document submitted via email on 31 October 2023, the site constitutes brownfield land in a sustainable development location, is under single ownership and expected to be surplus to operational requirements by 2028-2031. The site is available, achievable and suitable for redevelopment as set out in our submission.

Existing Use: Telephone Exchange (Sui Generis)
Site size: c. 0.54 ha
Relevant Planning History: A review of the Council's online planning register did not identify any planning applications relevant for a future redevelopment of the site.
Proposed Site Use: Residential (C3)
Other uses not currently considered viable.
Site Availability: 5-8 years
Is the site suitable for residential development? No significant constraints affect the suitability of the site for residential-led redevelopment. The site is located in a sustainable development location, constitutes brownfield land and has excellent links to the strategic transport network (Chatham station, c.400m; local bus stops) and other social infrastructure, and is therefore in a suitable location for residential-led redevelopment.
The site is in Flood Risk Zone 1 (with a low probability of flooding), neither locally nor statutorily listed, and not subject to any TPOs.
The site’s proximity to a number of heritage assets is noted and will need to be factored into any future redevelopment proposals.
There are no known contamination constraints (which could not be overcome via a suitable remediation strategy). The site further has access to key utility services.
Note: The site has not been subject to any active marketing at this stage.
Commentary and Reasons for Site Promotion (for inclusion in next iteration of the Medway Local Plan), including its achievability and availability: The site is subject to a strategic asset review undertaken by our client and expected to become available / surplus to BT’s requirements by 2028-2031.
Whilst located in close proximity to a number of heritage assets, it is our understanding that the site is neither statutorily / locally listed nor subject to any other significant designations or constraints which would affect its potential for future redevelopment.
To date, no capacity testing has been undertaken. However, taking the existing scale/massing (and topography) of the Telephone Exchange into account as well as the key constraints and designations set out above, it is considered that approx. 80-150 new homes can realistically be delivered on this site, subject to detailed feasibility testing and depending on unit mix, tenures, height/massing, and layout. This assumes a flatted redevelopment which is considered acceptable given the site’s location in the urban centre of Chatham.
The site therefore has the potential to make a significant contribution to the Council’s identified housing need of up to 29,000 homes (see Para. 5.12 of the Reg. 18 Local Plan).
Recommendation: The decision for the site to become available by 2028-2031 has been made following the Council’s original Call for Sites in February 2023. However, given the ambitious housing targets Reg. 18 Local Plan, recent delivery rates in Medway Council, and the brownfield nature of the site in a sustainable development location, it is considered that the site can make a significant contribution to the Council’s evidenced housing need over the Medway Local Plan 2040 plan-period.
The fall-back position would be a vacant, unallocated former telephone exchange site which by 2028-2031 is no longer serving any meaningful purpose, resulting in a significantly underutilised brownfield site in a sustainable development location.
As such, it is recommended to consider the site for inclusion in the emerging Medway Local Plan 2040 in the form of a Site Allocation for residential-led redevelopment.
Our client is willing to cooperate with the Council in the next stages of the plan-making process to ensure a future site allocation meets both the Council’s as well as our client’s objectives and ambitions.
Site Location Plan: Title Plan provided as separate file.