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Plans for 300 new homes criticised

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Swale council logo

by Hayley Robinson

Plans to build 300 new homes have been criticised.

Planning consultants Rapleys LLP has submitted an application to Swale council on behalf of its client, HXRUK II, to build a mix of houses and apartments.

These range from one bedroom flats to four bedroom houses with car parking, open space and landscaping on the Watermark site off Staplehurst Road. Access to the homes would be from Velum Drive.

But residents say doctors’ surgeries and schools are what’s really needed, not more housing.

They claim the area is struggling to cope because of a lack of infrastructure.

So far, 18 people have registered concerns about the proposed development of the 6.48 hectares of vacant land.

Jo Barnett, of Balas Drive, Sittingbourne, said: "Unless the promised schools, the doctor’s surgery/health centre, and community centre are put in place first, with some form of traffic management to ease the congestion along the complete length of the Staplehurst Road, I do not see how this proposal could go ahead.

"Home owners’ gardens are the size of a postage stamp, the community woodland area and field need to be kept for families to use, [we need] somewhere for the local children to run around and ride their bikes in safety."

David Squire, of Moonstone Square, Milton Regis, said: "We are highly concerned about the lack of facilities, doctors, primary schools, etc that has not been addressed.

"Simply building more houses without providing the support for them, does not benefit the area and worsens the quality of the life of those already here."

And Mike Baldock, of Wises Lane, Borden, said: "There is a total lack of infrastructure to support the existing houses on the Sonora fields development. How on earth can the council seriously contemplate adding to this problem?"

At the time of going to press, there were no letters in favour of the proposal.

To view the application, visit www.ukplanning.co.uk – using reference number SW/11/0637.

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