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Unpopular application for flats gets turned down
Contentious plans to build 88 new flats near Alexandra Park have been turned down after councillors slammed the designs as too big.
Dozens of concerned local residents flooded the council chamber at the Town Hall on Wednesday night to hear Hastings Borough Council's planning board debate the controversial proposals.
Had they been given the go-ahead, a currently derelict plot of land on Braybrooke Road would have been transformed in a modern apartment block, boasting almost 100 flats and 62 new parking spaces.
However, residents living in Braybrooke Road and nearby Lower Park Road raised serious objections to the plans - handing in 83 letters of objection and a 125 name strong petition.
Ion Castro acted as a spokesman for them and told councillors: "We are not against the development of this site but it has to be appropriate and this certainly is not - it is 10 stories high in places and far too high in mass.
"The design does not respect the natural contours of the site. Even if this was being designed by a world class architect this would still be too big."
Ian Coomer, speaking on behalf of the applicant, disagreed. He urged councillors to approve the plans, saying: "This scheme ticks all the right policy boxes and any erosion of this scheme would make it no longer commercially viable and the site would remain boarded up."
He also denied that the flats would overlook neighbouring properties and defended the lack of amenity space by pointing out the site is just a stones throw from Alexandra Park. Mr Coomer then said the developers would pay to help improve the park and also the underpass through to nearby Waterworks Road.
However, in the main councillors agreed with the residents.
Cllr Godfrey Daniel, who himself lives in Lower Park Road, said: "I think parking is an issue here because the reality is there is already a lot of pressure on parking in this area already. When you have 88 apartments but just 62 parking spaces that is going to be difficult.
"This is just too big a development."
Cllr John Wilson agreed, saying: "It is a big and difficult site but this is too much. It would be a carbuncle on the landscape."
Cllr Paul Barlow summed up the feeling in the town hall by saying: "This design does not visually enhance the appearance of the area at all."
Councillors then voted unanimously in favour of rejected the application.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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