Plans for building 23 homes on a former pear orchard have resurfaced despite earlier refusals.

Country House Homes has submitted an application to create 20 market homes and three affordable homes on a site to the east of Teynham village.

The plot forms part of Osier Farm and is currently used to grow turnips after the pear trees were grubbed up three years ago.

The same developer submitted an almost identical plan in 2021 only to have it refused. The company appealed, but the planning inspector upheld the refusal, although only on one ground - that the pedestrian access to the village was sub-standard.

At the time of the first refusal, Swale council was sitting on a 5.1-year housing supply. That has now shrunk to 3.9 years, which will make it very difficult to refuse the application this time around, since the government requires all authorities to maintain a five-year supply of housing.

The applicants have in any case addressed and upgraded the pedestrian link to the village, which will go through Selby House.

They say there is now no justification for refusal.

Country House Homes said: “The sensitivity of the location and character of the area has been at the forefront of the design process, with great care having been taken to create a scheme which integrates well within its surroundings.

“The application has been designed to complement the vernacular of the locality, yet incorporates all elements of the latest Building Regulation Standards.”

The plans show a mix of house sizes with one one-bedroom, 15 three-bedroom, three four-bedroom and one five-bedroom market properties.

The three affordable homes will all be two bedrooms.

The site is bordered to the north by the London to Dover railway line and is only 500m from Teynham Station at its nearest point.

Vehicle access will be via Lower Road, with an entrance opposite Whiteleaf Villa.

The development will provide 67 parking spaces and all the properties will have EV charging points and include home offices and fibre broadband.

The plot measures 1.42 hectares, but will leave 0.4 hectares as public open space, including a community orchard to reflect the site’s history.

The development is to be known as Osiers Place.

The scheme has not found favour with neighbours, and several have lodged objections - mainly about traffic and safety.

There will be accidents that could be fatal

One said: “I can’t believe this is even being considered. The road is very dangerous and even worse when something happens on the main road, which is often.

“There is no path, which is very risky for any parents and children, prams and even walking dogs. It’s a blind bend too. There will be accidents that could be fatal.”

Another said: “The increased traffic on what is a very narrow road with no pavement is going to cause chaos. Teynham can't support yet another money-grabbing development, there are going to be accidents on that road, which is too narrow for two cars to pass safely.”

The developers will be hoping for a speedier resolution of their application than last time.

The first application was validated on September 29, 2021, but not considered (and refused) until June 10, 2024.

Find out about planning applications that affect you at the Public Notice Portal.

Details of this application can be found on the Swale council website, under application reference 25/501882.