The Site and Location

Site Context 

The Site comprises an irregular shape, extending to 6.9 acres in size, comprising Canterbury City Council Offices and associated parking. The Site is bounded by Chaucer Road to the southwest and Military Road to the northwest. The Site is currently accessed via both Military Road and Chaucer Road. The access to the Site from Chaucer Road also serves the Royal Mail Sorting Office located to the north of the Site. To the east of the Site is an existing woodland.

The Site is brownfield and in a highly sustainable location, within easy walking and/or cycling distance of the services and facilities on offer locally, including the city centre, and nearby sustainable transport opportunities. There is existing bus stop provision located on Chaucer Road and Military Road providing links to Canterbury Town Centre and Train Stations, Herne Bay, Whitstable, and Sandwich.

Planning Policy

The Development Plan for Canterbury City Council comprises the adopted Local Plan (2017). The Council are currently in the process of preparing a new Local Plan to 2045. A draft Local Plan was consulted on at the beginning of 2023. The Council are currently reviewing the representation made to the consultation before submitting the Local Plan for examination.

Within the adopted Local Plan, Policy HD1 Housing Allocations identifies sites which are allocated for housing development within the district. The Site is allocated within the Proposals Map at Chaucer Road, Canterbury as an opportunity site in the longer term for housing during the Local Plan period.

As part of the emerging Local Plan proposals, Policy C25 (Canterbury urban area regeneration opportunity areas) identifies Military Road as on opportunity area which could come forward over the period of the Local Plan, for residential development. The opportunity area encompasses the entire site and land to the southeast of the site.

Policy HD2 (Affordable Housing) the City Council will seek provision of 30% affordable housing on all residential developments consisting of 11 or more units. The City Council’s preferred option is for affordable housing to be provided on-site.