The trees are coming down in Paddock Wood .

Bulldozers moved in on Monday and have been busy all week clearing scores of trees from the border of a development site ear-marked for at least 300 new homes.

Church Farm off Church Road is being developed by Countryside Properties. The firm has been granted permission for 300 homes, but their latest plans show building will not take up all the site , leaving room for more to be added later.

Meanwhile residents are in despair.

Joanna Mackenzie has lived in Paddock Wood for 16 years. She said: "To see all these trees coming down, many of them oaks and over a hundred years old, it's devastating.

"One of my neighbours was actually in tears."

"These trees have provided a habitat for owls, foxes and we know the ecologist who inspected the site found at least one dormouse nest there."

She added: "Now I feel sick every time I walk past."

Paddock Wood is in line for a massive surge of development across the town, with up to 3,000 homes in the pipeline

Mrs Mackenize is a member of the campaign group Stop Over Development of Paddock Wood. She urged residents to support the group by following its Facebook page here.

To see details of the housing plans, visit the Tunbridge Wells council website , planning reference 19/03655 refers.

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