Lenham Heath - garden town proposal

This afternoon Maidstone Borough Council decided to plough ahead with proposals for 5000 houses on farm land and countryside next to Lenham. The agreed to "continue to pursue a Council-led Garden Community in the target location with a view to acting as master-developer."

Councillors from four groups, Lib Dems, Conservatives, Labour and the independent group (not Cllrs Sams and Sams who spoke against the plans but did not have a vote), supported the motion.

This is despite:

• the housing target number being politically and economically driven rather than demographic need
• there being a need for social and affordable housing which won't be delivered in any real quantity by the proposal
• there being plenty of brownfield sites that could provide for the real need of the people of the borough
• climate change promises to become carbon neutral by the council - they were arguing for a new motorway junction to service the new town
• the need for farmland as climate change really starts to bite.

The team from Save Our Heath Lands and Cllrs Tom and Janetta Sams spoke brilliantly but were ignored by the councillors on the committee. 

This was a frustrating meeting and I will be doing all that I can to support the Save Our Heath Lands campaign.