Council seeks more control of town centre development

A Kent council is hoping for greater control of the development of key town centre buildings which can currently be converted to residential use without planning permission.

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is set to apply for an Article 4 Direction, which would remove the automatic development rights given to office buildings of more than 1,500 sq m (16,145 sq ft).

Invicta House, Medway Bridge House, Meadow House, Kestrel House and Knightrider House, and County Gate One and Two on Stacey's Street, have been identified for proposed inclusion.

Councillor Tony Harwood, cabinet member for planning policy, said this would allow future changes to these buildings "to be properly considered".

He said: "It is vital that the county town of Kent retains its administrative, business and commercial heart and that future office-to-residential conversions meet standards that supports residents' wellbeing and contribute towards the infrastructure that local families need."

This move comes about eight months after MBC had butted heads with the Reform leadership of Kent County Council (KCC) which planned to sell Invicta House for potential conversion into flats.

At that stage, MBC threatened to use an Article 4 Direction to stop this from happening.

MBC said Invicta House currently remained under the ownership of KCC.

Now MBC has renewed its efforts to get an Article 4 Direction after it said research it commissioned found a link between rising levels of deprivation and concentrations of office-to-residential conversions.

If this direction is approved by the government, any changes to the five Maidstone buildings would be subject to the planning process.

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