Cheriton: Plan for 86 new homes on former Saga site raises concerns

A former office building in Kent will be turned into 86 homes despite concerns by residents that the area cannot accommodate more properties.

Plans to convert the former Saga building at Cheriton are expected to be approved by planners on 20 February.

They include converting the four-storey building into 31 flats, while the land occupied by a car park will accommodate 36 houses and 19 further flats.

The council has warned the surrounding roads will be affected by the scheme.

Resident Luke Stephens said: "The current infrastructure isn't able to cope - GP waiting times are long, local hospitals are under pressure, crime is on the rise."

Kent County Council's highways department has objected to the plans, describing the access roads as "too narrow" and the number of visitor spaces as "unacceptable".

Folkestone and Hythe District Council planners said the dwellings would boost the council's housing supply.

More than a fifth of the new properties will be affordable housing, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

An officers' report said the site was "no longer viable for employment uses" and the development "would likely enhance the ongoing viability of Cheriton".

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