Esplanade Formal Gardens Esplanade Rochester Medway ME1 1QN Data via plota.co.uk

MC/26/0710 - Full Application Approved
Commercial & major worksSchools, care & communityDemolition

Proposal

Construction of play structure, associated hard and soft landscaping, and other associated and ancillary works - demolition of existing play equipment Data via plota.co.uk

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View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
14 Apr 2026
✓
Validated
16 Apr 2026
✓
Consultation
27 Apr 2026
✓
Approved
30 Jul 2026

Approved on 30 Jul 2026 · Delegated Decision · Last checked 31 Jul 2026

Documents 37

Decision & officer reports 2

PDF CASE OFFICER REPORT Case Officer Report · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗ PDF FULL APPROVAL WITH CONDITIONS Decision Notice · 30 Jul 2026 View ↗

Statements & assessments 14

PDF STATUTORY BNG METRIC Supporting Documents · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF BNG CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT Supporting Documents · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF BIODIVERSITY GAIN STATEMENT Supporting Documents · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF STATUTORY - KCC BIODIVERSITY Letter of Representation · 5 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF CONDITION ASSESSMENTS Supporting Documents · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF BNG METRIX CALCULATIONS Supporting Documents · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF KENT-BIODIVERSITY-GAIN-STATEMENT Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF ESPLANADE GARDENS HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF ARCHAELOGICAL DESK BASED ASSESSMENT Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT_COMPRESSED Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF KB ECOLOGY PEA ESPLANADE GARDENS ROCHESTER MARCH 2026 Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF BIODIVERSITY-GAIN-STATEMENT ESPLANADE GARDENS Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗

Plans & drawings 18

PDF TREE PLANTING PLAN Superseded · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF BASELINE HABITAT PLAN Superseded · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF BASELINE HABITAT PLAN Superseded · 23 Jun 2026 View ↗ PDF SITE LOCATION PLAN Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF PROPOSED SECTIONS Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SECTIONS Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SITE PLAN Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SITE PLAN 2 Superseded · 27 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF SITE LOCATION PLAN Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SITE PLAN 2 Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SITE PLAN Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SITE PLAN Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF EXISTING SECTIONS Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN. Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN 2 Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF PROPOSED SECTIONS Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗

Application forms 1

PDF REDACTED Application Form · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗

Other documents 2

PDF HABITAT BASELINE Superseded · 16 Apr 2026 View ↗ PDF PLAY SPACE COVERING LETTER-260410 Superseded · 14 Apr 2026 View ↗

All documents on the council site ↗

Site constraints 7

Flood zone 3, rivers and sea
High chance: a 1 in 100 or greater annual chance from rivers, or 1 in 200 from the sea. Any development here needs a flood risk assessment. Defences are not counted.
The Environment Agency flood map for planning. Homes in zone 3 must also pass the sequential test. Surface water flooding is a separate map.
Flood map ↗
Historic Rochester conservation area
Demolition needs planning permission and permitted development is restricted.
The council must give weight to preserving or enhancing the area's character and appearance. Not every council has published its boundaries as open data.
Agricultural land, grade 3a
Best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Predicted from the national soil map. A site survey can differ.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Scheduled monument 54 m away: Rochester Castle
Its setting is a consideration for work nearby.
Nationally important archaeology protected by the Secretary of State. Work that affects the monument or its setting is rarely permitted.
Historic England ↗
Habitat network: Coastal saltmarsh
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Also on the record
8 listed buildings within 150 m; Priority habitat 16 m away: Coastal saltmarsh.
Not affected
Not green belt

Checked on 11 September 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Council
Medway
Application type
Full Application
Postcode
ME1 1QN
Received
14 Apr 2026
Validated
16 Apr 2026
Ward
Rochester West & Borstal
Case officer
Show
Decision
Approval with Conditions
Decision date
30 Jul 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show
Agent
HTA Design LLP

How this decision compares

Decided in 105 days from validation, 51 days slower than Medway's median of 54 for demolitions. Approved, as 94% of demolitions here are.

87%decided within 8 weeks
94%approved
91decided in the last year

Plota live figures for demolitions decided by Medway in the last twelve months, from validation. Medway decision record →

Public comments

No public comments yet.

20 neighbours consulted · Last counted 31 Jul 2026

Read the comments on the council site ↗

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
PP-14848314
Neighbours
28 Apr 2026
Consultation
27 Apr 2026
Comments by
19 May 2026
Site or press notice
27 Apr 2026
Env. assessment
No

Historical activity at this location

27 previous applications on record - archival context, not part of the live application.

This property

Previous applications at this address

2024 Approved
Tree Group N 464 - Conifer Hedge - Reduce height of all to previous reduction height 3-4m…
CAN/24/2151
2023 Approved
Part retrospective listed building application for the removal of two existing pedestal b…
MC/23/0826
Within ~100m

Nearby activity

2025 Approved
Boley Hill House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
T1. Holm Oak - re-pollard to 8m. T2. Yew - reduce and reshape by approximately 2m. Curren…
CAN/25/1951
2025 Approved
Kings School Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Trees 1- 6 - Common Limes - cut back the suckers at the base of the trees to an approxima…
CAN/25/1430
2025 Approved
Kings School Rochester The Old Hall Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Construction of a single storey extension to side of existing classrooms
MC/25/0872
2024 Approved
The Old Vicarage Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Listed building application for the localised stabilisation of the right hand corner of t…
MC/24/2546
2025 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
(T1) Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) shrub, which is not classified as a tree, vegetation fo…
CAN/25/0801
2025 Approved
Boley Hill House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Listed Building consent tor reinstate the wall at 2090mm and to replicate the older bound…
MC/25/0570
2025 Approved
Boley Hill House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Reinstate the wall at 2090mm and to replicate the older boundary wall apparent to the res…
MC/25/0555
2024 Approved
Boley Hill House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
T1 - Yew - Remove 1 branch over driveway T2 - Silver Birch - Reduce in height by 2.5m fro…
CAN/24/1744
2023 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
As per tree schedule.
CAN/23/1870
2023 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Listed building consent for structural strengthening of timber primary roof beam and asso…
MC/23/1400
2023 Approved
10 Esplanade Rochester Medway ME1 1QN
T1 - Sycamore - Dismantle to ground level and grind out stump
CAN/23/1413
2022 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Various tree works at Kings School (Main Site), Rochester
CAN/22/1431
2022 Approved
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Listed building consent for construction of a detached summer house to rear - removal of…
MC/22/1204
2022 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
TREE WORK AT MAIN SCHOOL SITE T505 Sycamore - Remove suspended branch overhanging footpat…
CAN/22/0391
2021 Approved
Boley Hill House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Reconfiguration of entrance driveway; introduction of a supporting buttress to existing b…
MC/21/1412
2021 Approved
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Listed Building Consent for reinstatement of the second floor with sundeck to the rear. T…
MC/21/2371
2021 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
T508 Hawthorn. Fell to ground level. T661 Tree of Heaven. Except works: Remove major dead…
CAN/21/2180
2019 Approved
White Friars Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
Pagoda Tree - reduce the tree height to 6m and the crown radius to 4m
CAN/19/1382
2019 Approved
Rochester Cruising Club 10 Esplanade Rochester Medway ME1 1QN
G1 - 8 x Chestnut and 2 x Ash - Fell
CAN/19/0969
2018 Approved
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester Medway ME1 1TE
T1 - Lilac tree - Section dismantle as close to ground level as possible
CAN/18/3463
2016 Withdrawn
White Friars Boley Hill Rochester ME1 1TE
Acer (T1) - reduce canopy by 30% to achieve a height of 5m and diameter of 7m Silver Birc…
CAN/16/1961
2016 Approved
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester ME1 1TE
T1 Weeping Willow -"Reduce crown in direction of building at Trevine, cutting growth back…
CAN/16/2344
2016 Approved
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester ME1 1TE
T1 -Bay Laurel- Reduce crown to a height of 2m above ground level
CAN/16/2343
2016 Withdrawn
Trevine Boley Hill Rochester ME1 1TE
T1 Bay Laurel- reduce canopy by 50% (height 4.5m, removing 2.2m, leaving 2.3m) T2 Weeping…
CAN/16/1666
2016 Approved
Satis House Boley Hill Rochester ME1 1TE
Listed Building Consent for installation of metal balustrade and hanging lantern to entra…
MC/16/1602
Medway
Planning Authority Score
9.2/10
Excellent
#3 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Medway is one of the fastest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #8 out of 296. Only 19% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (96%) than the national average (90%).

Among the fastest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Medway decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
91%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #99 of 296
96%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #53 of 296
94%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #8 of 296
19%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #16 of 296
79%
Minor dwellings approved
106 decided (1-9 homes)
78%
Major dwellings approved
27 decided (10+ homes)
75%
Change of use approved
67 decided
999
Total decisions
88 refused in the year to March 2026
Source: MHCLG planning statistics · See full council rankings