Greensand Place, Coxheath
Permission secured for a new integrated Community Care Hub on land at Greensand Place, Coxheath.
With an ageing population and many in our community struggling to find the specialist care accommodation they need, DHA has been working for the last 18 months on a project that could be seen as a perfect response to the situation; permission for a new integrated Community Care Hub on Heath Road, on the edge of Coxheath village.
Following a lengthy debate, members of Maidstone Borough Council recognised the scheme’s merits, which will see a brand new, 12-bedroom state-of-the-art specialist palliative and end-of-life care and family support facility for Heart of Kent Hospice alongside:
• A 73-bed care home to contribute to the borough’s under provision of older people’s care bed spaces;
• 14 supported living units for adults with learning disabilities or autism;
and
• Up to 52 affordable retirement bungalows for the over 60s.
To support the hospice’s adult patients and their families, its complex will include an activity space, a garden room, consulting/counselling rooms and a café. In addition, a large private sensory garden is proposed near to the in-patient rooms.
The development brings together the combined health, care and property expertise of the Heart of Kent Hospice, Aspire Living, Coral Living and Stonebond Properties.
DHA secured Reserved Matters approval for a new hospice building, designed by KKE Architects Ltd., at Greensand Place, on behalf of Heart of Kent Hospice. Delivery of the necessary infrastructure is already well underway, with the landowners Alan Firmin Ltd funding the access road and drainage work to serve all parts of the development.
The project will also deliver significant landscape works on the 8.9 hectare site including the addition of a 3.4 hectare woodland strip, and the planting of approximately 3600 trees across the site as a whole. Overall, there will be a Biodiversity Net Gain in excess of 64%. Natural open spaces will be provided across the site, along with a central amenity open space with public art. There’s also provision for semi-private and private garden areas.
DHA has been delighted to work on a project that will deliver such significant community benefits for Maidstone.
David Hicken, Chairman of DHA Planning, said: “This is one of those great legacy projects that are the reason planners come into the profession. It will enhance the lives of people for decades and is a perfect response to a community’s need for great healthcare provision. Every site is different but by bringing these healthcare uses together it could be a model for similar provision across the county and beyond.
“A big thank you must go to everyone involved in the project for their shared vision, and in particular to the landowners for their extreme generosity and to the planning team at Maidstone Borough Council for recognising what it will deliver.”
Project Team
Chris is a Director at DHA, leading one of the firm's residential planning teams. He specialises in the promotion and delivery of strategic residential developments, with a particular passion for creating sustainable communities that respond to local needs.
Chris Hawkins MRTPI
Director
Chris is a Director at DHA, leading one of the firm's residential planning teams. He specialises in the promotion and delivery of strategic residential developments, with a particular passion for creating sustainable communities that respond to local needs.
Chris joined DHA in 2014 after 14 years working in planning at two local authorities in Kent, bringing extensive public and private sector experience.
Since joining DHA, Chris has successfully led a diverse range of projects, including:
- Promoting large-scale residential developments.
- Securing the submission of a 2,500-home strategic development in North Kent.
- Representing clients at major Public Inquiries and Local Plan Independent Examinations.
- Managing planning applications ranging from householder proposals to major mixed-use schemes, including a 1,000,000 sq ft employment development, listed building regeneration, high-specification residential schemes, and town centre regeneration projects.
- Securing planning permission for significant commercial, healthcare, and community developments, including the Community Care Hub at Greensand Place, Coxheath.
Chris combines strong technical planning expertise with extensive experience navigating complex planning processes, helping to deliver high-quality developments that create lasting benefits for communities.
Before establishing David Hicken Associates in 1986, David gained ten years of experience in Local Government, holding roles with a District Council, a Metropolitan Borough Council, Maidstone Borough Council, and ultimately serving as Chief Planning Officer at Harlow District Council in Essex. David is a Chartered Town Planner and a member of both the Royal Town Planning Institute and the British Institute of Management.
David Hicken MRTPI
Chairman
As Managing Director at DHA for more than 30 years, David led the business through sustained growth and diversification. In 2016, he stepped back from this role, handing over the reins to his son, Alex.
David now serves as DHA’s Chairman, overseeing the business while continuing to work closely with a number of long-standing clients—many of whom he has supported for nearly 40 years.
David remains deeply passionate about all aspects of planning, and the DHA team continues to draw on his extensive knowledge and experience.
Some of David's recent projects include:
- Vicarage Fields, Linton
- Sutton Road Development, Maidstone
- Kent Medical Campus, Maidstone
- Goudhurst Service Station
- Residential development at Upper Harbledown
Laura joined DHA in 2004 as part of our original Graduate intake. She holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) Degree in Geography and Sports Science from Loughborough University, and an MA in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Westminster. She is also a member of the RTPI.
Laura Jackson MA
Associate Director
Over the years Laura has been involved in a vast range of projects, including various applications and appeals, with her area of expertise now within the education sector and public houses.
She leads the entire portfolio of the planning permission and highway license business for DHA, involving hundreds of Public House sites throughout the UK.
Some of Laura's recent projects include:
- Greene King Portfolio
- Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School
- Hornchurch Leisure Centre
- New Live Fire Training Facility at Ashford Fire Station
- Dover Grammar School for Boys
- Major development at Mornings Mill Farm – Public Inquiry
- Cable Wharf Primary School
For the past 30 years, Laura has played hockey for Maidstone Hockey Club. However, she recently hung up her astros and has taken up running instead. She completed the London Marathon in April 2023 and the London Big Half in September 2023 and has plans to complete more races in the future.