Plans for a 32-home estate in Bethersden were rejected due to traffic and farmland loss concerns.
The proposed location was Bull Lane. Esquire Developments wanted to build homes with one to five bedrooms. The plan also included 80 parking spaces.
Planners suggested approving the project, knowing it was a close call. The new homes and affordable housing were positives. Yet councillors voted against it due to many worries.
The loss of farmland was a concern. The homes were near old buildings, and the location was outside the village. The land was next to The Bull Inn pub.
A councillor named Jessamy Blanford spoke up. She said the homes were outside the village and thought the traffic would cause danger. She also felt the plan was rushed.
Esquire Developments had tried before, initially wanting to build 40 homes. They reduced the number due to concerns about traffic and flooding.
Bull Lane lacks footpaths, so the plan included new ones and a crossing to the A28 road. A local man, Alex Walters, spoke up at the meeting.
Walters feared more crashes, saying the A28/Bull Lane area is dangerous. Crash data shows eight incidents there in five years, and Walters thinks the homes would worsen the road.
Mike Peters, a local parish councillor, feels farmland should stay protected. Esquire Developments said their plan was good because KCC Highways had no objections.
Amy Woodward, a planner, said it was a small project. She pointed out that it allowed space for green areas and they had improved the design. KCC Highways found no issues with it.
Councillors rejected the plan, citing issues with heritage, residents’ peace, landscape impact, and the need for a nature plan.
The owner of The Bull Inn supported the homes, but the Parish Council objected to the plan. Mike Peters spoke after the meeting and liked the committee’s careful review.
Peters felt the harms added up and believes the refusal is solid. He thinks the council could defend it because he feels the site is risky and the land valuable.
NHS Kent and Medway feared surgery overload. Stacy Reid, of The Bull Inn, saw benefits. She believed the new homes could help her business.