Napier Barracks planning application
Consultation description
Napier Barracks, North Road, Folkestone.
Although the Home Office has permission to occupy the site until 20 September 2026, it will vacate the site on or before 25 March 2025, to enable Taylor Wimpey to proceed with their development. During its occupation, Napier Barracks will continue to provide accommodation to eligible asylum seekers whilst their claims are being considered.
Initially the change of use of Napier Barracks from an army barracks to the use for asylum accommodation was permitted under permitted development rights, which expired on 20 September 2021.
As the Home Office still had a pressing need for asylum seeker accommodation prior to the expiry of permitted development rights, they obtained permission to use Napier for a further period of time through a Special Development Order (SDO). The legislation grants planning permission for the proposed change of use.
The Town and Country Planning (Napier Barracks) Special Development Order 2021 (‘the Napier Order’) was laid before Parliament on 27 August 2021 and came into force on 21 September 2021 and granted temporary planning permission for a change of use to asylum seeker accommodation to the end of 20 September 2026.
The Home Office are seeking to undertake additional consultation on the change of use sought. A consultation exercise is therefore being undertaken by the Home Office for a period of 21 days (10 January 2022 – 30 January 2022) to allow interested parties to comment on the proposals.
No physical development is proposed under the SDO. Figure 1 provides a site layout plan of the proposal.
Figure 1: site layout plan
Further details on the proposal are found in the planning statement, Environmental Impact Assessment screening letter (included in Appendix 1 of the planning statement) and Habitat Regulation Assessment screening letter prepared by Cushman & Wakefield.
The Home Office welcome comments with regards to the proposal.
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To request documents or images in an alternative format, please email planning.consultation@cushwake.com.