A new housing development at Allington that straddles both Maidstone and Tonbridge and Malling council areas has been approved - despite concerns about the traffic impact on the A20 London Road.

Maidstone councillors discussed their part of the application from Clarendon Homes, which covered only the access to the site from an unadopted road off Beaver Road.

Their planning officers advised that councillors could not comment of the housing element of the 106-home scheme - because that all fell within the Tonbridge and Malling area.

Cllr John Perry (Con) nevertheless pointed out that: "We hold the ransom strip" - meaning that if Maidstone refused permission for the access, the scheme could not be built, whatever Tonbridge and Malling said.

There was considerable concern about the effect on the road network, both at the Beaver Road junction with London Road and the A20 corridor. The council had received 51 letters of objection.

Angela Poletti, spokesman for the New Allington Action Group (NAAG), told the committee: "If this application is approved, you need to know there is another of in excess of 300 homes waiting in the wings for development right up to Barming Station.

"It means this small junction will eventually provide access to potentially 700 homes with up to 1,400 more vehicles."

"I live off Beaver Road and I can tell you that even now there are times that I cannot get in or out of my own home."

Visiting councillor Cynthia Robertson (Lib Dem) said she remained very concerned about the junction, while Cllr Dan Daley said the housing site "was designated as countryside and part of the Medway Strategic Gap that should not be built on."

He also pointed out the proposal was not in the Local Plan of either council.

Allington Ward member Cllr Stanley Forecast (Con) was concerned that a traffic survey that supported the proposal had been carried out during the pandemic, but in the course of the debate, it emerged it had actually been carried out before that - in 2018.

Brendan Wright, KCC's highways officer, insisted the results had been updated to take account of the many neighbouring developments since then and said KCC was satisfied the development would have only a marginal impact on the road network.

He said: "The impact is so marginal, it would be less than the day-to-day variance in traffic flow."

Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) described KCC's position as "obdurate", but warned: "Refusing the application will just make everyone very happy for a few weeks - until the appeal decision comes in."

Cllr Tony Harwood (Lib Dem) proposed approval be given subject to an number of 'informatives' advising the developer of improvements to the scheme that the council would like to see adopted. They concerned matters such as a trunking plan for utilities and an animal-friendly drainage system.

Unlike 'conditions' attached to a planning permission, which the developer must adopt, 'informatives' are only advisory.

Cllr Perry said: "What use are informatives, apart from salving our consciences a bit?"

Permission was granted with four votes in favour, one against (Cllr Forecast) and eight abstentions.

Mrs Poletti said afterwards: "If more people abstain than vote in favour - is that democracy?"

The application had already been approved by Tonbridge and Malling.

Application number 19/500769 refers.

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