An abandoned golf course close to where Sarah Everard's body was found could have 10 executive homes built on it.

The plan is a more detailed version of a previously approved scheme for the former Great Chart Golf Club off Bears Lane near Ashford.

The nine-hole course, which formed part of the Great Chart Golf and Leisure complex, closed in April 2019, however an outline planning application for 10 houses had already been submitted by that point.

In fact, the site had already been earmarked for seven homes in a 2017 submission by landowner John Kay - but after approval he altered the plan after being informed of “saleability issues”.

Since outline permission was granted in June 2019, the overgrown complex became a key focus of national media after the body of 33-year-old Ms Everard was found in Hoads Wood behind the site in March.

The marketing executive had been kidnapped in South London after visiting a friend.

Serving Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens has since pleaded guilty to her kidnapping and rape, but has not yet been asked to plead on the charge of murder.

The new application - submitted by developer Clarus Homes - would see the 10 homes spread across the 23-acre course, which is largely natural except for alterations made for the golf course and its 30-space car parking area.

A planning statement attached to the reserved matters application reads: "The outline planning permission was for a bespoke scheme that was conceived and developed in light of new exclusive homes policies and a clear desire from Ashford Borough Council to respond to a demand for a small number of large, exclusive properties.

"By their very nature, such properties are necessarily located in larger grounds set amongst less developed surroundings such as the countryside."

Suggesting "the proposed exclusive properties are to be grand in respect of both scale and stature", the planning statement adds that minor changes to layout should improve "neighbourliness".

A large amount of tree planting would be carried out to increase biodiversity on the site, as well as break up the site which borders on a railway line.

Taking care to preserve the best quality existing trees, the planning statement adds the development would "extend the existing belt of vegetation along the railway to create a link between areas of ancient woodland to the east and west of the site".

Furthermore, 57% of the site would remain open spaces which will be planted with wildflower seeds.

To address parking requirements, each house will have a garage or carport with "a drive and parking area in front".

One major hurdle the development states it will overcome is the Stodmarsh pollution issue - an ongoing effort to preserve water quality that is hampering many developments across east Kent - as bosses state it is outside the River Stour catchment area.

It is not known what is planned for the remainder of the leisure complex, including the former pitch and putt course, paintball area and archery range.

In March, the Metropolitan Police said there was "no suggestion of any criminal activity linked to the golf course/complex" as part of the Ms Everard probe.

A spokesman said at the time: "We can clarify that a local golf course/complex owner in Bears Lane has generously allowed police to use his land as a rendezvous point while operational activity is ongoing."

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