Demolition chosen over restoration for Kent development
Buildings on a prime Kent development site are to be demolished, after asbestos contamination made it more practical to start a development from scratch.
The mill buildings on Sittingbourne's old M-real site will be demolished, but some of the more historic parts of the site – including the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway (SKLR) – will be saved. The site's new owner, Essential Land, has plans to build a £95-million residential and retail development on the 18-acre site, including 250 homes, a food store centre and shopping mall.
An Essential Land spokesman said, "The existing mill complex buildings are contaminated with items including asbestos, therefore our masterplan for the site will provide newly built properties. The designs for the plan and these buildings will be sympathetic to the history of the site."
The company intends to incorporate elements of the historic mill buildings into the new architecture. The spokesman said they recognised their place in the history of the local area and have employed a local historian to document the demolition onsite and produce a photographic record.
Press officer for the SKLR Paul Best said very positive negotiations with the site owners meant that all that was left to do was sign the paperwork.
