Owners of a long-standing garage which serves dozens of motorists a day plan to demolish the building to make way for five-storey high flats.
But Albion Developments, which wants to bring down the currently open Kwik-Fit building in West Cliff Road, Ramsgate, says it cannot pay the council any money for infrastructure.
Albion also says it cannot make any of the 21 homes affordable – as it would make the £6.7 million scheme unviable.
The message comes despite projecting a profit of £1.2 million for its work and would include a dentist surgery with four consultation rooms.
Another obstacle in Albion’s way will be Kwik-Fit itself, which says it has years remaining on its lease and is committed to the site.
Spanning five floors, the proposed new building would tower over neighbours behind the town centre plot – the majority of which are two and three-storey homes – while the recently closed Modern Boulangerie would also be demolished to make way for the houses.
It is understood the building was first used as a garage between 1965 and 1975 and has remained one ever since, with current occupants Kwik-Fit well-established in the town for its range of mechanical services.
It is unclear when the operators are set to close or move out, with the franchise currently trading, despite planning documents referring to it as “the former Kwik-Fit”.
A lower ground floor dedicated to parking would be implemented, with the developer saying its plans are “high-quality” compared to the current buildings which have “a negative impact” on the surrounding area.
Albion bosses added: “The proposals provide sensitively designed, high-quality residential apartments, that are appropriate to meet local need and contribute to the housing need in the local area.”
Named Ivy Court, the site would offer a range of one-bed to three-bed homes facing onto West Cliff Road, though a courtyard accessible from Hertford Street will be introduced.
For 21 flats, just 13 resident parking spaces would be introduced along with four for the dentist and room for 22 bikes.
Justifying the lack of investment into the public domain, Albion officials told the council in planning documents its appraisal “confirms that the scheme would be unable to provide any affordable housing or S106 contributions, without rendering the scheme unviable”.
Ordinarily, a housing project with more than 10 dwellings would be expected to make 30 percent of its properties affordable, while section 106 agreements can be used as a way for councils to secure extra funding, to mitigate the impact of additional strain on its services.
When approved, Albion bosses say it expects to complete the works within two years while hoping to have all sales finalised six months after that.
A Kwik-Fit spokesman told KentOnline: “We are aware of a planning application by the owner of the building with an eye on potential future development.
“However, our lease on our West Cliff Road centre still has a number of years to run and the centre is very busy meeting the needs of our Ramsgate customers.
“We remain committed to serving motorists in Ramsgate and helping them keep safe on the roads.”
