A plan to provide 55 extra care flats in Gillingham on the site of the demolished St Martin’s House could help bring the town ‘back together’ after a bitter stand-off two years ago.

St Martin’s, an imposing red brick building, was listed as a Heritage Asset in the Town Plan but North Dorset District Council used ‘permitted development’ to allow it to be knocked down, and pushed through the demolition in 2019 without public consultation.

David Walsh, a Dorset councillor for Gillingham, admitted the move has been divisive. “I lost friends over that,” he told a meeting of the council’s Northern Area Planning Committee.

Opponents to the plan included fellow Dorset Councillor Val Pothecary, who lives opposite the site and led the campaign to save St Martin’s. She declared an interest in last week’s committee meeting and did not take part.

Cllr Walsh said: “I wish I could say the whole of the town has been behind this development. They haven’t. But I hope that if we could do something good with this site, it might bring the town back together.”

Architect Daniel Knight said that following the objections to the original scheme for 60 units in 2018, there had been significant revisions and the new smaller scheme for 55 units was commissioned in May 2019, working with an historic buildings consultant to address the issues.

Committee members satisfied themselves on various issues, including the adequacy of parking provision, and the eligibility of occupants.

They were reminded that as Gillingham’s first extra care facility in a very sustainable location close to the town centre, the expected car ownership would be low.
They were also told that the 100 per cent affordable rented scheme promised, despite on 25 per cent being required in accordance with policy, was at the ‘margin of viability’, and while electric charging points would be provided for mobility scooters, there would only be provision of infrastructure for later installation of points for cars.

The only objectors to address the meeting were Jim and Kate White of the neighbouring Lime Tree House, who were concerned at the proximity of a proposed electricity substation to their listed property and the impact of the two and three- storey building on their garden and the town centre.
They were told that there was nowhere else for the substation to go, but its brick construction with slate roof would prevent any noise impact and result in a visually acceptable building.

Councillor Belinda Ridout suggested that landscaping between the substation and Lime Tree House should be ‘robust’, and it was agreed that a condition seeking landscape maintenance for at least five years be extended to 15 years. Proposing acceptance, she said: “Any scheme on this site has to be right, and visually I think it is sensitive both to the site’s past and its present.”

Her proposal was seconded by Councillor Tim Cook and agreed unanimously, after chairman Councillor Sherry Jespersen asked that it be minuted, reference the ‘marginal viability’ of the scheme, that on the key site next to the conservation area, they would not wish to see the quality of design, materials and detailing watered down at a later stage. “It is important that it is built as approved,” she said.

The debate was paused by Councillor Jespersen just before the vote so that members could observe the national one minute silence reflecting on the full year of lockdown the country had experienced since the same date last year.

“It has been a difficult year for many of our residents, and very demanding for Dorset Council,” she said. “It is appropriate that we join the rest of the country in marking this moment, and give our thanks to all the council staff, members and volunteers,” she said.

Support Us

Thank you all so, so much for the love and appreciation you’ve shown us since we launched the New Blackmore Vale.

Please show your support and add a review on our Facebook page or on Google.