A council has approved its own plans to demolish an office building and warehouses to build new homes.
The proposal for land north and south of Granville Road, as well as in Gladstone Road, Maidstone, was approved during a planning committee meeting on Thursday (February 12).
The RJ Kingslands south warehouse. Picture: Maidstone council planning portal
The scheme consists of three “distinct developable areas” across 0.22 hectares to make way for the 18 new homes.
Two are located in Granville Road, which the local authority cites in its application submitted in September as “currently featuring a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses”.
It added: “However, ongoing construction and approved residential schemes indicate a clear shift toward a fully residential character.”
An RJ Kingslands warehouse adjacent to the Granville Garages and Britannia House sites, both currently under construction, is to be knocked down and become a four-storey apartment block.
How the block of flats could look. Picture: Maidstone council planning portal
It would feature eight apartments, of which six will be one-bedroom, and two will be two-bedroom flats.
The building would have undercroft parking with six spaces and a secure cycle store with capacity for 10 bikes.
An additional two parking spaces will be located opposite the flat block entrance on the other side of Granville Road.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the street, a second RJ Kingslands warehouse, along with the three-storey office building Granville House, will be demolished.
The RJ Kingslands north warehouse. Picture: Maidstone council planning portal
In their place, a total of nine terraced homes will be built.
All will be two-bedroom houses with flat roofs, front-facing car parking and back gardens.
And in Gladstone Road, a car park to the back of Granville House will be redeveloped into a four-bedroom detached home.
It will feature a back garden and tandem car parking spaces.
A CGI of the planned terraced houses. Picture: Maidstone council planning portal
It is proposed to be two-storey tall to match the existing houses on the street.
To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.
As the applicant for the scheme is Maidstone council, a decision on the plans was referred to the planning committee.
At the meeting, councillors voted unanimously in favour.
Cllr Maureen Cleater (Lab) said the area proposed was “in need of regeneration, meanwhile, Cllr Faye Gooch (Ind) echoed the praise of her peers for the development, but both raised concerns over the choice of flat roofs for the terraced homes.
How the four-bedroom home in Gladstone Road could look. Picture: Maidstone council planning portal
Cllr Denis Spooner (Con) added: “I am quite impressed with this scheme, I think it has been drawn up very well.
“It has excellent design layout and it is an urban site – it’s a brownfield site – I think it is making the optimum use of that land, and it’s providing 18 much-needed small dwellings, which I think is absolutely fantastic.”