A newly elected county councillor has publicly backed opponents of one of the biggest proposed house-building schemes in Kent.

Plans for the 5,000 home “Heath Lands” on Lenham Heath were approved by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) last year, when it was run by the Conservatives.

Reform UK councillor for the area, Sarah Emberson, spoke at the local parish council’s annual meeting last Wednesday (May 14) to show support for the pressure group Save Our Heath Lands (SOHL).

Later, she said a “more imaginative and strategic” approach is needed around planning in Kent.

Her backing was welcomed by Lenham Parish Council chairman John Britt, who believes the scheme is so riddled with flaws that it may never happen.

Heath Lands is being promoted by MBC and government-backed Homes England as part of the Local Plan to deliver 17,000 houses to the borough.

The targets are imposed by central government and Labour has pledged build 1.5m homes and relax planning laws.

Heath Lands would see the 5,000 houses built in phases but would also include local amenities, schooling and a railway station. There are questions over how the rail station will be funded.

Cllr Emberson, who lives in nearby Ashford, said: “One of the reasons for me standing (for KCC) is that I want to protect the countryside. I brought up my family here because I wanted them to enjoy green spaces and the quality of life.

“We have lived in the area for a number of years and we’ve benefited from that country way of life and we want to preserve it, like a lot of people do. We want to be in a position to have a countryside that people can be proud of.”

She added: “We are seeing it in so many places around Kent - places like Headcorn, Sittingbourne and Highsted Park - but we’re only guardians of the countryside. This not our land - but when it’s gone it’s gone.

“I just think that we need to be more imaginative and more strategic around planning.”

Heath Lands’ most vocal opponent, Cllr Britt, welcomed Cllr Emberson into her new role after beating the Maidstone Rural East conservative, Shellina Prendergast, for a place at Kent County Council.

He said: “I thought she (Cllr Emberson) expressed interest in the right kind of way. I don’t think she was ticking boxes - so let’s see what comes out of this.

“I suppose my only concern is that she is coming into a process which is so complex and nuanced and that will be a real challenge.

“This will not be unique to Sarah. A lot of our new county councillors are going to be in that situation. If there was a simple solution to the problems, someone would have thought of it already.”

The new Green Party leader Cllr Stuart Jeffery, who succeeded Tory David Burton at MBC, has been opposed to Heath Lands although he took charge after the scheme had already been passed.

He too has expressed doubts over the scheme’s viability.

Cllr Jeffery said last year: “It’s galling but we have to make the best of a bad world.”