The ambitious project has sparked debate amongst locals, as renowned Kent artist Mr. Doodle wants to transform a log cabin with his signature designs.
While some see the project as a boost to tourism, others fear it could disrupt the area and harm local wildlife.
While some see the project as a boost to tourism, others fear it could disrupt the area and harm local wildlife.
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00:00Renowned Kent artist Mr Doodle and his architect have proposed artistic plans
00:05for a log cabin in Dungeoness. While the project gained national attention, it has
00:09divided local residents. Upon visiting Dungeoness, it became apparent that many
00:14residents were unclear about the cabin's exact location or design. This confusion
00:19stemmed from a lack of public notices in the area, leaving locals unable to fully
00:23understand the proposal. Folks in the Highs Council meeting took a further
00:26look into the proposals for Mr Doodle's cladding design here at the log cabin in
00:30Dungeoness. The verdict was it was going to be deferred to allow more time for
00:34public opinion and better voters for the councillors to make a better judgment.
00:37There's a process that has to be followed and part of that process is
00:41where people have to put up notices that there's an application coming through to
00:49allow neighbours and residents etc to come on to the district website and make
00:55comments, you know, positive, negative, you know, however they want to do it. It
01:00turned out that some of those notices hadn't been put up. Locals were wary of
01:05sharing their views on camera, wanted to stay anonymous to avoid backlash from
01:09neighbours, despite having strong views on the topic. We spoke to around 15
01:13people. Supporters of the project highlighted potential benefits including
01:17increased tourism and a boost to local businesses, drawing comparisons to famous
01:22filmmaker and gay rights activist Derek Jarman's iconic home. Some opposing
01:26opinions included fears of a rise in property prices, potential harm to
01:30wildlife in this site of special scientific interest and ruining the
01:33area's overall peacefulness, which has already apparently been affected.
01:38While the conservation area continues to attract and inspire many artists, it should
01:43not be confused with an art gallery. Prospect Cottage may be mistaken by some
01:47as a work of art, however it was only ever used as an artist's home.
01:51Dungeness is already known for its artistic charm. The architect on the
01:55project maintains that it will add to the community rather than take away.
01:59Well, Dungeness is unique because of its wildlife, flora, it's Europe's only desert,
02:06but what we're doing is replacing existing dwelling, so we wouldn't impact
02:11at all on the SSSI and Natural England haven't raised any objection to the
02:17proposal at all, so there wouldn't be any impact on SSSI. So what this really
02:23comes down to is whether our proposal is well mannered and respectful of Dungeness
02:29and we think it is. Ahead of the next stage of consideration, councillors are
02:34now awaiting further input from residents and more detailed visuals of
02:37the proposed designs before making a final decision.
02:41Leena Zahara from KMTV in Dungeness.