More than 450 homes are set to be built in one of Kent’s fastest-growing villages, which residents complain has been left “in the Dark Ages”.

Bellway has been given permission for the new estate, which will be between the eastern side of Iwade, near Sittingbourne, and the A249.

The plans also include a country park and community centre. Proposals for the development, off Grovehurst Road and The Street, have been in the works since 2019.

In July 2022, GH Dean Ltd obtained outline planning permission for the scheme.

However, in September last year, Bellway submitted its plans for what it has dubbed Willowbrook Village after purchasing the land in 2024.

On Monday, June 2, Swale council approved a reserved matters application, which covered the specific details of the project.

It will span an area equivalent to 90 standard 11-a-side football pitches, two-thirds of which will be for the country park.

Meanwhile, the community centre will have offices, meeting rooms, nursery facilities, and toilets – including an externally accessible toilet for country park visitors.

Of the homes, 30 will be “affordable” for rent or shared ownership.

The 143-acre site was earmarked for development in Swale council’s 2017 Local Plan.

Bellway managing director, Chris Moore, said: ”Willowbrook Village will be one of the most important extensions to Iwade since it was identified as a growth area in the 1990s.

“The scale and prominence of the site demand a sensitive approach. Our design team has considered every detail to ensure the development provides attractive, energy-efficient homes in a sustainable and eco-friendly neighbourhood.

”Biodiversity on the land will increase by 20% from its current levels, both through the provision of the country park and the creation of new habitats around the development.

“The community building will be a real asset for residents of Iwade and the central village green will provide an outdoor meeting place with a dedicated play area.”

While the firm does not have a total spend figure, it has forked out £6.8 million in Section 106 contributions – money which goes towards upgrading local infrastructure.

It is just the latest housing development to come to Iwade, which has quadrupled in size in the last two decades.

Cllr Roger Clark (Con), who lives in Pearl Blossom Drive and represents Iwade on Swale council, said the hundreds of houses built since he came to office in 2015 has made “life unbearable”.

He said: “In 2015, Iwade was a lovely little village.

“But then the developers came and built hundreds of homes.

“It’s not a village anymore, it’s more of a town.”

The Tory pointed to gas and electricity outages in 2023, which left residents in the dark and relying on generators for hours at a time.

On top of frequent power cuts, the village has suffered from water leaks lasting for months and poor mobile signal - although a new 5G mast has now been installed this year.

Nutmeg Crescent resident, Claire Gallagher, previously said living in the village was “like being in the Dark Ages”.

Read more: ‘It’s like living in the Dark Ages – but they are still building more homes’

Construction of Willowbrook Village is set to begin later this year.