howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
courtesy of ddc planning website.
Part change of use and conversion of first floor to 15 one bedroom flats and 2 two
bedroom flats and associated external alterations
Part of First Floor, Charlton Centre, High Street, Dover
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
surprising that they are getting away with it.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
They haven't Brian - yet !
Roger
Guest 717- Registered: 16 Jun 2011
- Posts: 468
Wow they will be tiny flats!
Keeps politics to myself
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
The Planning Application number is DOV/12/00626.
Most shops in Dover have flats above them and these flats will not take any space from the art studios.
15 no. 1 bed flats and 2 no. 2 bed flats; the room sizes are bigger than the minimum size for flat conversion guidelines.
If they had made the rooms in the flats in Folkestone Road this kind of size, there wouldn't be half the problems we have now - and I said so at the time.
I am not endorsing this application, the above comments do not show bias, just notes from the apllication.
Roger
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Again we see the D.D.C. GOING AHEAD WITH ONE BEDROOM FLATS,and that is not good for the town but I have packed up now with keeping on about the Town so will stop there.
Terry Nunn
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,316
With the caveat that there should be fewer larger flats I think this is great. It will also be the salvation for the shops below that are only just ticking over.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,879
I suppose it is better than the area lying empty as it has done for numerous years.
For anyone looking for a recently refurbished flat there is an upstairs one opposite me, there is a To Let sign lying on the pavement outside so I guess it is still available, the one next to that is also being done up.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
In principle this is a good idea, as town centres need people living in them (above the shops) to help make them vibrant. My issue is the number of one bed flats proposed - if it had been for say 10 two bed flats I would be fully supportive.
Vic DDC are not going ahead with anything - this is an application by a developer, nothing more, nothing less
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
"Again we see the D.D.C. GOING AHEAD WITH ONE BEDROOM FLATS"
Thought Vic with your parish councillor hat on you would understand that this is a planning application and nothing to do with DDC !!
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Yes but the same happen with Folkestone Rd and it went ahead even after we,and I was the ward cllr on the town council then said it was not good for the ward if this went ahead I even had my 3mins say on it at the D.D.C. Planning meeting,and in my own mind the same will happen with this one the planning committee will give it the go ahead I can not be 1oo% on it but a good 95% that it will.I must say I do not know what the feeling of the public is in that ward ,they are my own feelings about it.And Mr Scotchie sir I did know that but thank you for telling me anyway,but I should have said "It was my own gut feeling about it.
Terry Nunn- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,316
Surely it doesn't matter if they are 1, 2 or 10 bedroom flats. We need housing. It's who owns and runs them that matters.
Are these to be owner/occupiers? Then I might very well buy one to spend my last years in. I can see several advantages. Currently I own a four bedroom house full of clutter, this could well suit a young family if I move on.
What you are on about Vic is the possibility of these being bought by absentee landlords who will let to them to anyone. That is the problem, not the fact that they are one bedroomed.
At least it's not Southern Housing. Be thankful for that.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
Such a high proportion of 1 bedroom flats implies by necessity that families are generally supposed to be childless.
I'v got plans for moving into a 2 bedroom house, in a quiet area with no dogs and no other disturbing noises.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Terry having been to your house I would not call all the nice things you have clutter.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the problem is twofold in my view.
firstly if an area is overrun with one bedroom flats then you do not get a good mix of people to constitute a community.
secondly the size of the flats makes a difference, unscrupulous landlords like to cram as as many units into 1 large house as possible. this tends to attract desperate people on benefits to take what they can get. the landlord meanwhile makes a killing.
Terry Nunn- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,316
Howard - Agree, it's who owns and manages that it important.
Vic - You never saw the top floor.
Terry
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
so much depends on how it all ends up, plans get passed in good faith but the end product can be such a letdown.
we were told that the ancestors building in belgrave road was going to be an upmarket thing with the character of the building remaining and the flats sold off.
quite the opposite has happened.
Ross Miller- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,706
Having reviewed the planning submission, these are intended as being rental properties let out by the owner/developer, who is a London based property company. To be fair to them they are well above the minimum size stipulated in the regulations.
The mix of property sizes most absolutely matters in terms of attracting and creating a mixed vibrant community.
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,879
I suspect that the Charlton Centre Manager will be keeping an eye on the inhabitants as will all the shopkeepers.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
One of the problems with the art gallery upstairs has been the lack of footfall due to access only being by the rear staircase which a lot of visitors never get to. The plans show the front staircase as being open and giving access to the gallery, will be intersting to see if that happens.
An amusing fact. As usual there's a question about how many parking spaces are associated with the property - 300! But I certainly wouldn't want to live in a flat where the view out of the window was the delivery yard at the back of the centre.