Canterbury Council Approves 85 Home Estate Plan for Blean

They approved plans for a housing estate. It will cost £40 million to build. The project took ten years to approve. The estate will have 85 new houses. These houses will be near Canterbury. The location is on Blean Common. This plan concerned locals since 2015.

They will build the homes near the Royal Oak pub. The government approved the project in 2023. The council now approved the final design. Entry will be from the A290 road. Houses will be near woodland to the north.

There will be a play area for kids. A dog area will also be near the pub. Fernham Homes bought the land in September. They plan to start work this summer. The first homes should be ready by 2026.

Fernham will invest £1.5 million in the area. They will give £229,000 for local upgrades. This includes roads and sports facilities. It also helps manage protected natural areas. The new estate includes 26 affordable homes. People worried about traffic and drainage.

A local leader, Phil Hutt, voiced concerns. He mentioned existing traffic problems. He thinks more homes make it worse. He also said drainage is already bad. He fears the project worsens flooding.

The council first rejected the plan in 2016. Then, the Planning Inspectorate suggested approval. The council fought this in court. The court made them redo the inquiry. They gave permission in April 2023.