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Plans for a new housing estate in a Kent village have been narrowly approved, leaving residents “physically disappointed”.
Fears of overdevelopment and pressure on existing amenities in Lydden, near Dover, were raised by neighbours when plans for 23 new homes were revealed.
Concerns were also raised over a new road in Church Lane creating “a real big problem” for the small village.
But despite a lengthy debate by councillors, Quinn Homes' scheme was green-lit by Dover District Council’s (DDC) planning committee by just one vote.
Originally, the almost five-acre site was allocated under the authority’s Local Plan for 30 homes, with the village seen as a sustainable location.
This was due to it having public transport links, a GP surgery, a pub and a primary school.
However, villagers were left increasingly frustrated by the planned expansion with 155 objections registered against the plans on DDC’s planning portal.
One reason for opposition was flood risk with neighbours saying the vacant plot often suffers from run-off water during heavy rain.
Another was the proposed reworking of the junction with Canterbury Road, which would be turned into a one-way route with a new footpath added around the bend by Lydden Garage - a known accident hotspot with two already recorded this year.
Those leaving the new development in cars will also be unable to turn right onto Church Lane, instead having to follow the new one-way system to head in that direction.
Consultees including Kent Highways and the Environment Agency registered no objections as part of the application.
Speaking after the DDC planning committee meeting on January 16, Lydden parish councillor Ryan Booth said everyone in attendance was left “physically disappointed” by the decision.
He added: “It was disappointing that a lot of the council members didn’t really understand the real impact that it would have on residents, particularly with the lack of resources and amenities.
“Already, our GP is oversubscribed, the school is oversubscribed and there’s the lack of a village shop. All the Section 106 money in the world is not going to give us what we need. It’s really disappointing.”
Trevor Head, whose family farm will neighbour the new estate, also questioned the need for new housing in Lydden.
He said: “Including the farm, there’s probably six houses in Church Lane, now there could be nearly five times that.”
The planning committee discussed the proposal for almost an hour and some members remained unconvinced by the plans.
Cllr Roger Knight (Con) said: “On the face of it this is a modest development in a small village and looks quite good.
“However, I lived in Lydden 30 years ago, and I can tell you that road is a problem and it will not have changed - I can remember walking there and nearly being knocked down by high-speed vehicles.
“I’m also really unhappy about the new junction from the development, no right turn is a major problem. I cannot see the logic around this.
“The actual development is fine, but the access will be a nightmare, and I’d feel very sorry for the people of Lydden if we went forward like this - we are looking at creating a real big problem.”
At the meeting, councillors narrowly approved the scheme for outline planning permission with five votes in favour and four votes against.
A mix of two, three and four-bedroom homes will be provided, including 30% affordable housing.
Detailed designs for the appearance of the housing and landscaping of the site will be submitted at a later date.
Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal
A spokesperson for Quinn Homes said: “We’re delighted at the decision to approve this highly sustainable community extension of high quality and affordable new homes.
“We are also grateful to the planning officer’s report and stakeholders, including Historic England, which recognised our planning application would deliver a scheme that will be visually attractive, sympathetic to the local character of the village and add to the overall quality of the area.”