Home   Maidstone   News   Article

Quality of life is suffering, claim opponents of new build in Bearsted and Thurnham

Around a hundred people visited a public exhibition of plans to build at Barty Farm.

No developer has yet been attached to the scheme, but the owners have engaged property consultants Hobbs Parker to develop a suggested outline for the land, which lies in the parish of Thurnham, but borders Bearsted village.

Their ideas for 106 homes on the 3.9 hectare site went on display at Tudor Park Hotel in Bearsted on Friday .

Could yet more homes be on the way?
Could yet more homes be on the way?

Rosemary Harlow, 75, who lives close by the farm in Mallings Drive, said: “Most residents gave them a flea in the ear.

“We are all fed up with fighting scheme after scheme in Bearsted - the village is full.

“Our quality of life has already suffered.

“Their proposed entrance on Roundwell is close to a blind bend, where there has been a number of accidents and one unfortunate fatality.”

Part of the proposals would require the demolition of an historic wall at the listed Barty House in order to provide a wider access to the site, which Mrs Harlow described as “sacrilege”.

“We are all fed up with fighting scheme after scheme in Bearsted - the village is full..." - resident Rosemary Harlow

Mary Richards, the secretary of the Bearsted and Thurnham Society said: “It does feel as though the area is under siege, with other proposals at Waterside Park, Woodcut Farm, White Horse Wood, Lilk Meadow and elsewhere."

She said the information supplied at the exhibition was "skimpy in the extreme.”

But she said it seemed few trees would be felled, and the development was intended to be of larger, executive homes, on a boulevard-style pattern.

One of the chief concerns is the lack of school places locally. KCC has already admitted that it has under-planned for school provision.

The eventual developer at Barty Farm might have to contribute up to £7,000 per house towards new school places, but the problem was that the three local schools at Thurnham, Roseacre, and Hollingbourne had nowhere to expand.

The site has been put forward for housing development in Maidstone council’s draft Local Plan - yet to be adopted - and is marked up to take up to 122 homes.

No planning formal planning application has yet been submitted, but the agents have asked Maidstone council for a "screening opinion" to determine whether or not the scheme would require an Environmental Impact Assessment to be undertaken.

EIAs are detailed comprehensive surveys and expensive to produce.

Details of the screening opinion application can be found on the Maidstone council website under reference number: 14/503966.

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More