More than 3,000 people have signed a petition against a 1,600-home development villagers fear will cause a community to collapse.

The potential housing project south of Birchington has been met with forceful criticism from residents, who are concerned about the repercussions should it be given the go-ahead.

Gary Fowler, 48, of Mill Row, started the petition after attending a consultation event held by developers Ptarmigan Land and Millwood Designer Homes in October.

He said: "It got my back up and infuriated me that they were presenting it as if it was already decided, when essentially we're still in the process of that."

Mr Fowler, who has lived in the village for 22 years, spent the last three months gathering signatures in person and on a change.org page, which reached 1,300 in just a few days.

Now the petition has reached 3,000 signatures, the 48-year-old says it reflects the dislike of the proposed project on land earmarked for homes in Thanet District Council's Local Plan.

Mr Fowler believes services in the village would bow under the weight of extra people living in the area.

He said: "They talk about allocation for a school, but there's no guaranteed funding for it from Kent County Council, or guaranteed funding for the medical centre either."

Birchington Medical Centre was given a 'requires improvement' rating after a visit by the Care Quality Commission last year.

The building plans have also been contested by some local councillors as well as residents.

Cllr Phil Fellows, of Birchington South ward, said: "I’ve always been against any development on Grade I agricultural farmland. There are enough empty properties and brownfield sites in Thanet; the last resort should be building on farmland.

"The developers have seen the land has been put into the local plan and they’ll make merry hell with it, make as much profit as possible."

He added: "We’ve got a medical centre at breaking point, one primary school and a secondary school oversubscribed. If the powers that be were to build a new medical centre, secondary school and primary school first so the residents don’t suffer it would be easier to swallow."

The proposal, if it went ahead, could bring 4,800 more people to the village, based on an average of three people per household.

In a village of roughly 10,000 people, this would drastically increase the local population.

Mr Fowler plans to send the petition to the parish council, the housing minister and Kent County Council among others.

Despite the outrage from local people, Cllr Neville Hudson, chairman of Birchington Parish Council, fears the petition is too late to have an impact on the decisions.

He said: "Sadly there’s nothing residents can now do because it's in the hands of the inspector.

"There is a lot of opposition to the housing. The parish council sent a submission against it, now we have to wait for further information from the minister."

The Local Plan for Thanet is currently going through modification proposals, which close on Sunday.

The 1,600 proposed homes are one of the main modifications listed on the 242-page document.

If the proposal is agreed developers can then submit planning applications for the site.

The Grade I agricultural land looks across to the ruins of the Reculver Towers and the off-shore wind turbines.

Hannah Scott, a professor of environmental science who has lived in Thanet all her life, is concerned the natural view will soon be lost.

Dr Scott said: "From the top of the field you can see the sun set behind the towers in winter and the wind farm in the summer.

"This is an atrocity, and everyone in the area feels sad about this, they feel this loss."

A spokesperson from Ptarmigan Land said: “We have thoroughly engaged with the local community. This included a comprehensive consultation event held in October attended by nearly 800 residents.

"This was followed by numerous meetings with local stakeholders and ongoing discussions with the Neighbourhood Plan team. Future public consultation is also planned and the whole community will be invited to attend. We greatly appreciate all the feedback we have received to date which will help inform our masterplan."

The spokesman added: "Thanet District Council is required to deliver 17,140 homes by 2031, to help meet local housing need.

"South West Birchington-on-Sea has been identified in the Local Plan as a suitable location to deliver new and affordable housing. This development is one of a number of sites identified to meet this need across the district."

The developer has said it would deliver improvements to the local infrastructure, including a new primary school, a potential expansion of the medical centre and a road to alleviate traffic congestion in the area.

To sign the petition click here

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