Hugely controversial plans to build homes in Monkton have been rubber-stamped just months after being thrown out by government planners.

Villagers against the nine-home estate rallied round to fight the development, with objections pouring in to Thanet District Council.

An earlier, almost identical, planning application was refused in December 2018 and dismissed on appeal in August by the Planning Inspectorate.

But this week, district planners nodded through the proposal, paving the way for the four-bed houses to be built on land opposite 150 Monkton Street.

Cllr Reece Pugh, who represents Thanet villages and objected to the plan, says there is real strength of feeling against the development among villagers.

"I think the use of the land is better than filling it with 20 or 30 houses," he admitted.

"But as much as the plans are more in keeping with the area, the strength of feeling is so strong. I couldn't sit back and ignore it.

'People see this as one of the last remaining bits of open space' - Cllr Reece Pugh

"This is something that has always been incredibly emotive. It's in the middle of the village, in the village gap - people see this as one of the last remaining bits of open space - and there are concerns about drainage."

The original plan was refused last year on the grounds it would "result in a loss of an important gap within the village which provides for views of the Stour Marshes and Wantsum Channel North Shore" and losing the landscape would be "significantly harmful to the character and appearance of the village".

The Planning Inspectorate then dismissed an appeal by developer Harry Ling in August, stating there were not enough mitigation measures to counteract disturbance to the nearby Special Protection Area (SPA) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

It is understood the latest plan includes funding from the developer to help towards mitigation measures.

In an objection to Thanet council, Beth Johnson, spokesman for Monkton Residents Association, argues the application has not changed from before.

"We would reiterate our concerns with regard to all the matters raised about the previous application, including the highway issues, the intrusion into the countryside by the building on a designated village gap, which we consider to be a considerable amenity and integral part of the village and should therefore be preserved," she said.

"We feel that allowing this development, which is not part of the allocation for Monkton, would set a dangerous precedent for far more building than Monkton can possibly support to take place."

But in a planning statement, JTS Partnership, agent for Mr Ling, says the development will not be out of place or harm the appearance of its surroundings.

In a report by a planning officer at Thanet council, it was said the development is in a sustainable location with "harm to the environmental objectives alleviated through the design and layout of the scheme".

"Therefore the adverse effects of the proposed development on this site in the countryside and the harm to the significance of designated heritage assets are not considered to significantly and

demonstrably outweigh the public benefits from the development."

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