A new high-quality community centre for residents in Paddock Wood, near Tunbridge Wells.
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People who worked on this project
Adam is an Associate in our Transport Planning team leading our small to medium sized projects as well as taking an active role in helping to deliver our larger Transport projects.
Mathew joined DHA as one of our original graduate intake in 2004. He has a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Westminster, having previously studied Geography at the University of Birmingham.
Oonagh joined DHA in Summer 2019 as a Geography MA Graduate and has recently completed her Masters in Town Planning from London South Bank University.
Sectors we work in
We are particularly proud of our track record of securing planning consent for valuable community facilities on behalf of both public and private sector clients – from village halls to libraries and pre-schools.
DHA have a long track record of work within the leisure sector, having secured consent for projects including ice rinks, football stadia and training complexes, sport pavilions, equestrian training centres and countless leisure centres. Each project comes with its own unique set of circumstances and design needs and DHA are adept at responding to these, working collaboratively with the design team to identify and mitigate any planning risks whilst promoting the many benefits such projects deliver.
Services you may be interested in
At DHA, we strive to make the process of obtaining planning permission as clear and honest as possible.
DHA's Transport and Infrastructure Team specialise in creating robust and cost-effective transport planning solutions to optimise development projects of all sizes.
Securing permission for new community facilities can always pose a challenge, especially if it means losing an existing playing field, as it generates a likely objection from Sport England and a referral to the Secretary of State.
DHA successfully argued the case, resulting in a new, high quality and flexible community centre for Paddock Wood, near Tunbridge Wells. The Town Council had been considering various options for a number of years as there is a need for a suitable venue to hold events and classes.
Working closely with the planning officers, DHA was able to demonstrate that the playing field that would be lost represented a small proportion of the wider site, and the remaining field was sufficient to accommodate continued use for sport. DHA Transport was also able to demonstrate that the various uses across the site could be accommodated within the proposed car park.
As a result, the planning balance was acceptable in mitigating the loss of part of the playing fields – and approved by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council after the Secretary of State confirmed he did not wish to call the application in.
Local company Baxall Construction now has building works under way on the £3.5 million community centre which is due to open in early 2023.
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