Benacre View, Off Thanet Way, Whitstable, Kent
Proposed Residential Development & Community Facilities
Proposed New Homes and Community Facilities For Benacre View, Off Thanet Way, Whitstable
August 2023
Updated plans have been submitted as part of this planning application (application number remains CA/23/00379).
In summary the proposals still include:
- 220 homes
- 30% affordable housing
- A new onsite local shopping/community facility
- Significant open space including children’s play areas as well as informal areas for general play and recreation
- Provision of a park and bus facility. The proposed car park will provide space for circa 300 cars
February 2023
An outline planning application for new homes at Benacre View was submitted to Canterbury City Council. It is available to view via the Council's Planning Portal using the application reference CA/23/00379.
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters.
Where outline permission has been granted, and within three years of the outline approval, an application for the outstanding reserved matters can be submitted, i.e. the information excluded from the initial outline planning application. This will include information about the exact layout, scale and appearance of the new homes, as well as the details of the open space and landscaping. No development can take place on site until the Reserved Matters application has been consented.
Statutory consultees (e.g., Environment Agency, County Council and the Parish Council) and local residents will have the opportunity to formally comment on the application direct with Canterbury City Council.
We will continue to work closely with the Council and where necessary will respond to statutory consultees.
New Emerging Local Plan
The Canterbury District Local Plan (2017) was adopted in 2017 and provides a framework for development until 2031. It plans for homes, jobs, shopping, leisure and the environment and plans for infrastructure to support these. Local Plans must be consistent with national policy, but the adopted local plan also takes on board local planning issues that are important to the area.
A new Local Plan is being prepared which seeks to address changes that have occurred since the adoption of the current Local Plan. This includes increased levels of housing growth bought about by national policies, as well as the economic implications of COVID 19 and increasing awareness of climate change and the impact this is having on the District. The Draft Local Plan has set out the vision for the District up to 2045 and Benacre View has been identified as a draft allocation for residential development as part of the South Whitstable Strategic Development Area.
Pressure On Existing Infrastructure - Schools, Doctors And Local Services Capacity In Whitstable
Canterbury City Council adopted its Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule in 2020.
CIL is a charge which is applied to most new developments and is calculated on the total floorspace of the new market homes. The money raised will go towards infrastructure projects within the district that are needed to support development, this includes schools, doctors, highway improvements, public spaces and community facilities.
An important part of the New Local Plan is to identify the infrastructure needed to support the identified housing growth. Alongside the draft housing allocation for this site, the Council will be considering the infrastructure needed to support this level of new homes and will be identifying when it will be required and how it will be funded. This will be set out in its Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
Masterplanning And Design of Benacre View
The masterplan for the site has adopted a landscape led approach reflecting the surrounding context and the site’s topography. The existing hedgerows, trees and the woodland around the boundary of the site will be retained wherever possible and will be integrated into proposed open spaces. Where loss of trees of hedgerows are required to facilitate the formation of vehicular or pedestrian accesses, new planting will be provided elsewhere in the site. In addition, new planting as part of the streets and public open spaces will be provided to create an enhanced landscaped backdrop in views towards the site from the north.
The proposed development will include several new public open spaces including a ridgetop parkland which follows the site ridgeline and can accommodate a range of functions including areas for formal children’s play, looped walking and exercise trails and the existing public right of way. The park also opens up wider landscape views towards Whitstable town centre, the sea, and Borstal Hill Mill.
The existing landscape features along the boundaries will help to define the public open spaces and provide opportunities for new planting and habitat creation to support biodiversity enhancement.
Recognising the elevated nature of the site and the site’s rising topography, as well as the character of surrounding residential developments, the proposed dwelling heights will be predominantly two storeys. A mix of dwelling types and sizes from 1 bed to 4 and 5 bed homes will be provided within the design including a range of single storey bungalows.
A park and bus facility can be accommodated on the site with direct access from Thanet Way and room for around 300 car parking spaces. Bus pick up will be from new bus stops on Thanet Way immediately outside the site. Safe pedestrian access to the stops will be provided.
The proposals also include the provision of an area to accommodate a new retail or community use to serve the new and existing local community.
The final design, layout and style of homes, is something that is agreed and dealt with under a Reserved Matters application and will follow this outline application.
Benefits To The Economy Of New Development at Benacre View
The economic benefits of new housing development are significant. A study by the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) demonstrates that construction projects have a significant benefit on the local and wider economy. The report concludes that for every £1 of construction expenditure, £2.84 is injected into the economy.
New development will be key to aiding economic recovery at both a local and national level following the Covid pandemic. The proposed development of new homes offers the opportunity to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, assist in meeting local housing need and add to the Local Authority’s revenue, as a result of an increase in Council Tax revenue stream and the New Homes Bonus.
The delivery of new homes and the introduction of new residents will also help support existing local businesses, services and groups.
Research conducted by Onepoll on behalf of Barratt Homes in 2014 suggested that the average homeowner spends approximately £5,500 within 18 months of moving to make the property “feel like home”. First occupation expenditure typically involves furnishing and decorating a property and will generate a range of economic benefits for the local immediate economy by supporting jobs within local businesses.
Public Consultation For Benacre View Commences (December 2022)
The public consultation for Benacre View has commenced.
The consultation website contains the information on the proposals from a planning, technical and design perspective, along with a number of short videos and external links to useful sites that we hope you will find informative.
Please let us have your feedback by using the 'Have your Say' form, via the survey link or by using any of the other feedback options detailed on the consultation web page:
The website will be updated on a regular basis as our proposals and our planning application for the site progresses.The formal public consultation period for Benacre View will close on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Catesby Estates Selected As Land Promoter For Benacre View Off Thanet Way, Whitstable
Catesby Estates has entered into an agreement to promote land off Thanet Way, Whitstable for residential development (November 2020).
Located within the administrative area of Canterbury City Council, the greenfield land site is 34.7 acres. The Council is currently reviewing its Local Plan, and the site will be promoted through the Local Plan process for allocation.
Whitstable is one of only three main urban centres in the area, the others being Canterbury and Herne Bay, and the site is in a sustainable location with a range of local facilities and services within walking distance.
The in-house planning and technical teams at Catesby will now be working closely with the Council and other stakeholders to bring this site forward for new homes along with supporting community facilities and infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Catesby Estates said; “We are delighted to have secured an agreement to promote this well located and sustainable residential site.”
“This is the third land site we have added to our portfolio in the last two months, highlighting how well our land team supported by the wider Catesby business, can successfully source and secure sites during these challenging times.”
The in-house planning and technical teams at Catesby will now be working closely with the Council and other stakeholders to bring this site forward for new homes along with supporting community facilities and infrastructure.
The landowner was represented by Bidwells.
Site Specifics
34.7 Acre Site (14.0 Hectares)
Up to 220 New Homes
Affordable Housing. The proposals for Benacre View include up to 220 new homes (reduced from 270 which was originally consulted on) with a mix of house sizes and types, ranging from 1 to 5 bed houses (including bungalows) to meet local policy requirements and identified need. This also includes 30% affordable housing.
Affordable housing is a combination of discounted rent, discounted sale (for first time buyers) and shared ownership housing, provided to eligible households whose needs are not met by the market. This will assist those looking for their first home, and lower income individuals and families get on the housing ladder in Whitstable.
The provision of affordable housing is a significant benefit; it means that households who are currently ‘priced-out’ of the market will have greater opportunities to access good-quality housing.
This is particularly pertinent in Whitstable, where the average house price over the last year was £454,105 (Rightmove) compared to the UK average of £278,000 (UK House Price Index).
Public Open Space. Significant open space including children’s play areas as well as informal areas for general play and recreation.
There is also space for the provision of community allotments should there be demand highlighted through the consultation process.
Community Facilities. A new onsite local shopping/ community facility.
Park and Ride. Provision of a new park and bus facility to help alleviate congestion within the town centre.
Highways and Access. The main access is proposed from the A2990 Thanet Road and will be designed to meet all national and local design guidance.
As part of preparing our Transport Assessment (“TA”), we have undertaken numerous traffic counts and surveys of the local road network including understanding traffic patterns.
The assessment also includes other known committed and allocated development sites and makes an account for traffic growth through to the end of the current Local Plan period.
The TA includes a review of sustainable travel modes and also include a comprehensive review of the current safety record for the local road network.
New high-quality walking and cycling links through the site to Duncan Down, including a new crossing on the A2990 Thanet Way is proposed as part of the scheme along with improvements to walking and cycle connections to Whitstable.
In accordance with the emerging housing allocation the proposals include the provision of a park and bus facility. The proposed car park will provide space for circa 200-300 cars, users of the car park can then catch the bus into Whitstable town centre. This will help relieve some of the peak time congestion within the town centre.
Flooding and Drainage. The development areas are situated within the Environment Agency’s Flood Zone 1. These are areas with a less than 1 in 1000 annual probability of flooding from rivers, the lowest probability of fluvial flooding.
Greenfield sites have to ensure there is no worse surface water run-off flow than the current field run off rate, therefore the storage methods on site will ensure a betterment to the surface water runoff rate compared to the existing greenfield.
Additionally, onsite surface water attenuation will be provided in a range of sustainable drainage (SuDS) features.
These SuDS features will not only provide attenuation but also provide significant water quality and ecology benefits.
A full Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) will be submitted as part of the application and will assess all other sources of flood risk including pluvial, groundwater, sewer, reservoir and artificial drainage.
Sustainability and Climate Change. Homes both new and existing account for 20% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK.
The homes at Benacre will be designed in accordance with the Government’s Interim Future Homes Standard, which requires a 31% improvement over the current Part L 2013 standard.
A range of measures will be implemented to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, in line with the energy hierarchy, and complying with national and local policy. The detailed design will consider:
- Design to promote passive solar gains, maximise natural daylight, sunlight and ventilation.
- High levels of insulation and air tightness.
- Use of high efficiency heating systems appropriate to the building use to reduce energy consumption; and,
- Specification of high energy efficient equipment that will use less energy and water.
- Electric vehicle charging for all homes contributing to sustainable transport.
- Delivering a net gain in biodiversity which will help site habitats and species adapt to climate change; and,
- A surface water drainage strategy which utilises Sustainable Drainage Systems and allowances for climate change to protect against flood risk.
Proposed New Homes and Community Facilities For Benacre View, Off Thanet Way, Whitstable
August 2023
Updated plans have been submitted as part of this planning application (application number remains CA/23/00379).
In summary the proposals still include:
- 220 homes
- 30% affordable housing
- A new onsite local shopping/community facility
- Significant open space including children’s play areas as well as informal areas for general play and recreation
- Provision of a park and bus facility. The proposed car park will provide space for circa 300 cars
February 2023
An outline planning application for new homes at Benacre View was submitted to Canterbury City Council. It is available to view via the Council's Planning Portal using the application reference CA/23/00379.
An outline planning application seeks to establish whether the scale and nature of a proposed development would be acceptable to the local planning authority, before a second fully detailed planning application is put forward, which is called a Reserved Matters.
Where outline permission has been granted, and within three years of the outline approval, an application for the outstanding reserved matters can be submitted, i.e. the information excluded from the initial outline planning application. This will include information about the exact layout, scale and appearance of the new homes, as well as the details of the open space and landscaping. No development can take place on site until the Reserved Matters application has been consented.
Statutory consultees (e.g., Environment Agency, County Council and the Parish Council) and local residents will have the opportunity to formally comment on the application direct with Canterbury City Council.
We will continue to work closely with the Council and where necessary will respond to statutory consultees.
New Emerging Local Plan
The Canterbury District Local Plan (2017) was adopted in 2017 and provides a framework for development until 2031. It plans for homes, jobs, shopping, leisure and the environment and plans for infrastructure to support these. Local Plans must be consistent with national policy, but the adopted local plan also takes on board local planning issues that are important to the area.
A new Local Plan is being prepared which seeks to address changes that have occurred since the adoption of the current Local Plan. This includes increased levels of housing growth bought about by national policies, as well as the economic implications of COVID 19 and increasing awareness of climate change and the impact this is having on the District. The Draft Local Plan has set out the vision for the District up to 2045 and Benacre View has been identified as a draft allocation for residential development as part of the South Whitstable Strategic Development Area.
Pressure On Existing Infrastructure - Schools, Doctors And Local Services Capacity In Whitstable
Canterbury City Council adopted its Community Infrastructure Levy Charging Schedule in 2020.
CIL is a charge which is applied to most new developments and is calculated on the total floorspace of the new market homes. The money raised will go towards infrastructure projects within the district that are needed to support development, this includes schools, doctors, highway improvements, public spaces and community facilities.
An important part of the New Local Plan is to identify the infrastructure needed to support the identified housing growth. Alongside the draft housing allocation for this site, the Council will be considering the infrastructure needed to support this level of new homes and will be identifying when it will be required and how it will be funded. This will be set out in its Infrastructure Delivery Plan.
Masterplanning And Design of Benacre View
The masterplan for the site has adopted a landscape led approach reflecting the surrounding context and the site’s topography. The existing hedgerows, trees and the woodland around the boundary of the site will be retained wherever possible and will be integrated into proposed open spaces. Where loss of trees of hedgerows are required to facilitate the formation of vehicular or pedestrian accesses, new planting will be provided elsewhere in the site. In addition, new planting as part of the streets and public open spaces will be provided to create an enhanced landscaped backdrop in views towards the site from the north.
The proposed development will include several new public open spaces including a ridgetop parkland which follows the site ridgeline and can accommodate a range of functions including areas for formal children’s play, looped walking and exercise trails and the existing public right of way. The park also opens up wider landscape views towards Whitstable town centre, the sea, and Borstal Hill Mill.
The existing landscape features along the boundaries will help to define the public open spaces and provide opportunities for new planting and habitat creation to support biodiversity enhancement.
Recognising the elevated nature of the site and the site’s rising topography, as well as the character of surrounding residential developments, the proposed dwelling heights will be predominantly two storeys. A mix of dwelling types and sizes from 1 bed to 4 and 5 bed homes will be provided within the design including a range of single storey bungalows.
A park and bus facility can be accommodated on the site with direct access from Thanet Way and room for around 300 car parking spaces. Bus pick up will be from new bus stops on Thanet Way immediately outside the site. Safe pedestrian access to the stops will be provided.
The proposals also include the provision of an area to accommodate a new retail or community use to serve the new and existing local community.
The final design, layout and style of homes, is something that is agreed and dealt with under a Reserved Matters application and will follow this outline application.
Benefits To The Economy Of New Development at Benacre View
The economic benefits of new housing development are significant. A study by the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) demonstrates that construction projects have a significant benefit on the local and wider economy. The report concludes that for every £1 of construction expenditure, £2.84 is injected into the economy.
New development will be key to aiding economic recovery at both a local and national level following the Covid pandemic. The proposed development of new homes offers the opportunity to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, assist in meeting local housing need and add to the Local Authority’s revenue, as a result of an increase in Council Tax revenue stream and the New Homes Bonus.
The delivery of new homes and the introduction of new residents will also help support existing local businesses, services and groups.
Research conducted by Onepoll on behalf of Barratt Homes in 2014 suggested that the average homeowner spends approximately £5,500 within 18 months of moving to make the property “feel like home”. First occupation expenditure typically involves furnishing and decorating a property and will generate a range of economic benefits for the local immediate economy by supporting jobs within local businesses.
Public Consultation For Benacre View Commences (December 2022)
The public consultation for Benacre View has commenced.
The consultation website contains the information on the proposals from a planning, technical and design perspective, along with a number of short videos and external links to useful sites that we hope you will find informative.
Please let us have your feedback by using the 'Have your Say' form, via the survey link or by using any of the other feedback options detailed on the consultation web page:
The website will be updated on a regular basis as our proposals and our planning application for the site progresses.The formal public consultation period for Benacre View will close on Tuesday 3rd January 2023.
Catesby Estates Selected As Land Promoter For Benacre View Off Thanet Way, Whitstable
Catesby Estates has entered into an agreement to promote land off Thanet Way, Whitstable for residential development (November 2020).
Located within the administrative area of Canterbury City Council, the greenfield land site is 34.7 acres. The Council is currently reviewing its Local Plan, and the site will be promoted through the Local Plan process for allocation.
Whitstable is one of only three main urban centres in the area, the others being Canterbury and Herne Bay, and the site is in a sustainable location with a range of local facilities and services within walking distance.
The in-house planning and technical teams at Catesby will now be working closely with the Council and other stakeholders to bring this site forward for new homes along with supporting community facilities and infrastructure.
A spokesperson for Catesby Estates said; “We are delighted to have secured an agreement to promote this well located and sustainable residential site.”
“This is the third land site we have added to our portfolio in the last two months, highlighting how well our land team supported by the wider Catesby business, can successfully source and secure sites during these challenging times.”
The in-house planning and technical teams at Catesby will now be working closely with the Council and other stakeholders to bring this site forward for new homes along with supporting community facilities and infrastructure.
The landowner was represented by Bidwells.
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