Plans for housing estates in two villages have been approved despite huge concerns over more traffic, loss of farmland and poor infrastructure such as doctors and schools.
A 64-home estate has been given final approval in Sholden while another eight properties near a primary school and playing fields in East Langdon have been given the nod.
But fears were raised over both sites in the villages near Deal when they were considered at Dover District Council’s (DDC) latest planning committee last week.
The Sholden site off Sandwich Road by David Wilson Homes is the second phase of 110 homes on the plot – which was granted outline permission in 2021.
The first 46 received their final approval for its reserved matters – including appearance, layout and landscaping – in August last year.
Now, the plans for remaining 64 homes have also been accepted by councillors during the committee’s meeting last Thursday.
The plans will provide a mix of one to five-bedroom houses, including 16 affordable homes.
The 3.56-hectare site, which measures in at nearly five football pitches, will also include 1.27 hectares of green space.
The outline scheme initially proposed 117 homes, but DDC refused this due to concerns over the landscape, fearing that larger development would harm the area’s character and look.
A revised application for 110 homes was submitted in March 2021 and was approved despite receiving more than 50 objections from residents.
Commenting on DDC’s planning portal, Julia Jowett said: “This development should not be allowed.
“There are too many housing developments in Sholden, Deal, and the surrounding areas, with most built on good farmland.
“The infrastructure cannot cope with all these developments; Sandwich Road is already congested; it is a nightmare.
“Schools, doctors, dentists cannot cope with the existing demand and reducing the application by seven properties will not lessen the detrimental impact this development will have on the area – No houses should be built on this land.”
Wendy Atkins also added: “The building in this area of Kent has become hugely problematic, and this is another example of houses being built with little thought to infrastructure to support it.
“Our roads are jammed full of cars, our doctor surgeries are full, and our sewage works are groaning under the strain.
“Our countryside and farmland are gradually disappearing under developments.”
Concerns were also raised over emergency access, and a new route is now included in the development’s first phase.
Applicant David Wilson Homes, which is owned by housebuilding giants Barratt Developments, previously said the application was a “fantastic opportunity to create a legacy to support the continued growth of Sholden”.
Speaking at the meeting, the developer’s agent Amy Tamplin added: “Throughout the application process, both Sholden Parish Council and Deal Town Council raised concerns regarding the emergency access route and insufficient affordable housing provision.
“Upon submission we have made sure adequate emergency access provision and have worked alongside the planning and housing officer to make sure an adequate range of houses is provided, being policy compliant and according with the district’s needs.
“We have worked proactively with the planning officer to ensure the layout is suitable for private cars, emergency and refuse vehicles as well as pedestrians, including a substantial area of open space in the western area of the site.
“No objections from highways, archaeology, the Environment Agency or Natural England. Overall, this proposal provides much-needed homes and is acceptable in terms of planning policy.”
Despite previously aired concerns, the reserved matters for the 64 homes were unanimously approved by DDC.
Speaking after the decision, Karen Dunn, head of development at Barratt David Wilson Kent, said: “After working closely with the planning officer at Dover District Council on this application, we are pleased that members voted in support of the officer’s recommendation and approved the application for our second phase of new homes at Sholden Meadows.
“As a result, Sholden Meadows will deliver 110 new homes, of which 33 will be affordable, alongside green open space and a play area.”
Meanwhile, eight homes proposed in The Street, East Langdon were also approved at last Thursday’s planning meeting.
No affordable housing is required as part of the scheme because it provides under the minimum of 10 homes.
Concerns were previously raised over the sharp bend, which would allow access to the site, and what extra vehicles would mean for pedestrians in the area.
Currently, parents for East Langdon Primary School are told not to access the site by car in a bid to reduce congestion. Many instead choose to park at the nearby village hall and walk along The Street to the site.
This prompted an objection from highways authority KCC, which was concerned about potential traffic collisions involving pedestrians.
However, after the applicant, Esquire Developments provided more information, KCC removed its objection because there is no history of incidents in the area.
A new pedestrian route is also proposed through the site to access the primary school.
The application received uproar from locals with 24 objections registered on the council’s planning portal.
Andrew Searle commented: “The [KCC} director of highways and transportation had recommended refusal of this application citing the dangers to pedestrians
“The proposed development is likely to generate an increase in pedestrian traffic on a highway lacking adequate footways with consequential additional hazards to all users of the highway.
“I cannot understand that KCC Highway’s objection has been removed because there have been no reported accidents involving pedestrians since the informal arrangements for overflow school-run parking at the parish hall and playing field car parks.
“A doctor would surely not prescribe extra cigarettes to a heavy smoker because, luckily, they had not yet succumbed to lung cancer.
“The additional risks arising from the extra access road and the increased traffic movements that would result from this development still apply. The access road could not be in a much less safe position.
“Vehicles turning in from The Street and vehicles turning left out of the access road would both need to make 180 degree turns, with extremely poor visibility. It would not comply with KCC’s Design Guide for Movement which states a minimum junction visibility of 14m.
“In summary, this application should be refused as it would add a significant road safety risk at an already dangerous double right-angle bend on a narrow country lane, by a playing field and with increasing levels of all types of traffic.”
Councillors also raised concerns over the continued growth of villages as another scheme has also been submitted for 40 homes on the opposite side of the road.
Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Loffman (Lab, Mill Hill) said: “The principle that I raised earlier was that there’s a comment regarding a previous application, which is not part of this, which suggests that as a result of more than this application, 70% of East Langdon is being increased.
“Now, I’m afraid that that isn’t something that we can consider because we consider individual applications. However, the community of East London will feel that 70%, even though we cannot discuss anything beyond this individual application.
“And that is a significant weakness in planning because when do criteria get established in social cohesion terms for a percentage of increase of any particular community?”
Cllr Helen Williams (Lab, Mill Hill) added: “So this is a windfall site, and are 40 houses being built across the road. I don’t feel this is a sustainable site.
“I know there are other houses there, and I don’t know about the public transport there, but the roads are very narrow, so cycling and walking are very difficult.
“I don’t know if there are any shops, a post office, or a doctor, but it does have a primary school, so I’d be interested to know about the sustainability of this site.”
Despite lacking some amenities, the DDC planning officer confirmed that East Langdon is classed as “tier one” under the authority’s new Local Plan due to the primary school and playing fields, meaning it is seen as a “reasonably sustainable development”.
The application was also conditioned on building the eight homes to a standard allowing easier conversion to disability housing.
Speaking on the proposals for applicant, Esquire Developments senior planner Amy Woodward said: “The early delivery of this site will provide high-quality homes and set the benchmark for high-quality design for future development within East Langdon.
“The scheme fills the gap between two community assets, the village hall and the play area, linking the assets with the village with safe pedestrian access.
“Working alongside officers, all technical matters have been fully assessed, resulting in no objections from any statutory consultees, including KCC Highways, which has confirmed the access is safe and that the impact on the local highway network is acceptable.”
DDC voted to approve the scheme with seven votes for and three against.
Esquire Developments has been contacted for comment after the decision.
