16 housebuilder news; news feature


Surrey, following a successful prosecution by Reigate and Bandstead Borough Council. Shanly Homes appeared before Redhill


£10,000 TPO fine for Shanly Homes H


ousing developer Shanly Homes has been fined £10,000 for wilful damage to two protected trees in Redhill,


Magistrates on 20 December 2016 and pleaded guilty to carrying out excavation works at the for- mer Frenches Club, which contravened a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) and resulted in irreparable damage to a protected yew tree and horse chestnut tree. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered


to pay the Council’s court costs of £1,002. The Magistrates also awarded £170 as a victim’s sur- charge. Taking account of the guilty plea, the


judge reduced the wilful damage fine from £7,000 to £5,000 per tree. The prosecution followed an investigation by


the Council, which began when the planning enforcement team was contacted by a local resi- dent concerned about construction works being carried out in the rooting areas of the trees, which are covered by a TPO. Cllr Mark Brunt, chairman of the Planning


Committee, said: “We take a very dim view of anyone who thinks they are above the law and can disregard a Tree Preservation Order. These sub- stantial trees formed an important landscape feature in the Redhill area, and were protected to safeguard their future. “A well-established company like Shanly


Homes should have known better," he concluded, “I hope this hefty fine sends a very strong message that we are determined to deal firmly with those who contravene a Tree Preservation Order and threaten the environment we work so hard to protect.”


Ebbsfleet – accessing the Garden of England


Ebbsfleet Garden City is set to bring 15,000 new homes to Kent, and the progress being made by housebuilders on the development was revealed at a recent event in Maidstone, which was attended by HBD’s Jack Wooler.


T


he Government has pledged £310m of investments in the Ebbsfleet project, which is to become the first new garden


city built in almost 100 years, however question- marks remain over the transport infrastructure that will be required. Among the developments already underway


are Ebbsfleet Green, where Redrow has 950 homes planned across a number of stages; Eastern Quarry, where various developers have received planning permission for 6250 homes; and Springhead Park, where Countryside are constructing 800 homes. Ebbsfleet is also one of 10 housing projects to


take part in the NHS’ Healthy New Towns scheme, intended to “shape the health of commu- nities and to rethink how health and care services can be delivered.” An industry network event hosted in January


by Built Environment Networking provided attendees with further details on Ebbsfleet’s pro- gression. At the event, Kevin McGeough, head of strategy and placemaking at Ebbsfleet Devel- opment Corporation, envisioned a “much healthier, more vibrant place to live.” “Currently,” commented McGeough, “the


development area contains a huge amount of green space that is inaccessible to residents.” He hoped the development would become a “kind


respond online at www.hbdonline.co.uk


of green corridor” for the area. Not only providing much-needed homes in


the south east, Ebbsfleet is set to create up to 30,000 new jobs, and will attract both local workers and those commuting to London. With the benefits of being both in the countryside and on the city’s edge, the Garden City is likely to attract a range of interest. McGeough concluded that there was a strong


intention behind the project to create “civic com- munities,” saying that the project is “all about creating a place people love living in, and the legacy we leave.”


Infrastructure issues


Despite the positive ambitions, David Smith, director of Economic Development at Kent County Council, spoke at the event of the dan- gers of poor infrastructure, referring to both Ebbsfleet and the wider Kent area. Smith made comparisons between poorly


thought-out Victorian infrastructure and today’s planning system, citing a lack of infrastructure as being behind many towns and cities’ failings. With the Thames Gateway already at capacity, he said, the road network will be in “dire need of improvement.” If developments in Kent are to succeed, Smith


continued, “we must bring back strategic plan- ning,” adding, “we must focus on towns, villages, and communities, not urban sprawl.” According to Smith, travel is not the only


essence of infrastructure that needs attention, with “broadband, phones, health and social care” among the “necessities of modern life.” Ebbsfleet’s implementation framework was


completed in December last year, detailing the development’s plans for the next 25-30 years.


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