When Maidstone council's planning committee considered an application to build 10 homes off Windmill Lane in Hollingbourne at the end of April, villagers warned that the narrow, privately owned track was not suitable for heavy traffic.

The council passed the application anyway.

This morning an articulated lorry attempted to turn into the lane off Eyhorne Street and became stuck next to the Windmill pub.

After much toing and froing, it eventually had to back out and drive off.

A witness said: "The tractor unit just managed to enter the gap between the Windmill and Stable Cottage, but the trailer unit could not and any further movement could have resulted in the demolition of the end wall and a large part of the bar area.

"The foreign- owned lorry had to back out very slowly in order to get back into Eyhorne Street."

John Cobbett, who had campaigned against the planning application, said: "This was not the first time that a lorry has been stuck trying to enter Windmill Lane and smaller ones have often damaged properties on both sides of the footpath which is maintained on a pro bono basis by local residents.

"Members of the planning committee were made aware of the access problems and the fact that it is unlikely that construction traffic, fire engines, and removal vans could ever safely enter the lane, but they didn't listen."

It is not known why the lorry, whose driver spoke little English, had wanted to enter the lane.