Client: Folkestone & Hythe District Council
Sector: Residential
Location: Greatstone, New Romney
Ward: Folkestone & Hythe
Status: Planning
Greatstone is a beach side town located within the Romney Marsh area. It is situated 2.9 miles from New Romney, to the north, and 3.8 miles away from Dungeness, to the south, which is home to Dungeness National Nature Reserve. Lydd airport is situated to the west, with large expanses of marsh land in between.
The site is situated between the village of Littlestone, a mile to the north and the centre of Greatstone a mile to the south. The site is adjacent to The Varne Boat House, which is home to the The Varne Watersports and Supporters Club, and the RNLI Littlestone Lifeboat Station. The site is bound by ribbon development along Coast Drive, while the coast line is metres away to the east. Coast Drive is a main through road, which runs adjacent to the coast line, connecting Greatstone to the main towns and villages.
The character of the area has developed in a ribbon like development, over a long stretch of the coast. This is characterised by a peppered array of architectural styles, which has developed over the years, mainly from pre war 1930’s buildings, through to mid 20th century homes and beyond. This gives the area its identity and visual character, which is shown through the differences in materials, scale and style.
The scale of the proposals comply with the design parameters set out in the approved outline application, with the maximum building height of 17.60m AOD, maximum building width of 9.7m plus 0.75m localised projection window and maximum building depth of 10.8m. The scale has been carefully considered to relate to the existing context of Coast Drive. There is an eclectic mix of buildings along Coast Drive, most of which are of residential use. The proposals are for three storey dwellings that have a flat roof. They relate directly to the scale of the existing surrounding properties with a roof level no higher than the immediately adjacent buildings ridge height. The proposed scale is in keeping with the local vernacular.
The proposals have been informed by the identified site opportunities and constraints and detailed assessment of the characteristics of the site. The proposal is a sustainable development which makes more efficient use of the previously undeveloped site, contributing positively to the economy and tourism, within the local area.
