by Emma Grove
Planners have postponed making a decision on a controversial development which involves knocking a hole through the dockyard wall.
The revised application was submitted by Dockyard Buildings and involves converting a historic building into 26 residential units and building a new development of 69 residential units with a car park in Sheerness Docks.
The original application was refused by the planning committee last year, prompting Dockyard Buildings to submit a revised plan.
However, last-minute changes meant the plan was withdrawn from going before the planning committee at a Swale council meeting last Thursday.
The application also involves knocking a hole through the listed dockyard wall, which runs along Blue Town High Street to allow access.
The council has received almost 50 letters objecting to the application.
Owner of the Blue Town Heritage Centre Jenny Hurkett started a petition against the breach of the listed dockyard wall and Sheppey’s RSPCA chairman, Angela Walder, has voiced concerns about the colony of scorpions which reside in the wall.
George Demetriou, director of Dockyard Buildings, said the changes had been made to the new build section of the application, which has been redesigned.
He added: “Planners withdrew the application because amendments had been made.
“It will give the planners time to assess all the changes and it will be put forward at a later date.
“We are in discussions with other consultees; once they are happy with the changes it will go back to the committee.”