Homes will go ahead as wall demolition approved
One hundred new homes will be built at Barty Farm after approval was given to demolish a boundary wall around a listed building.
Members of Maidstone Borough Council’s planning committee gave outline permission for the new estate in April, but then stymied developers Crabtree and Crabtree by refusing to allow the alteration of the wall ringing Barty House, fearing it would damage the character of the 18th century structure.
The alteration was to allow access for buses, bin lorries and emergency services.
After hearing how the proposals had changed, councillors voted to grant the application and rubber-stamped the new development off Water Lane, which includes 30% affordable housing.
The actual building site sits within Thurnham, with access in Bearsted. Both parishes, and the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, reiterated strong opposition to the development and the demolition of the wall and its move some three metres closer to the Grade II listed house, now a care home.
Concerns included a lack of primary school places and poor visibility at the entrance.
The wall will also be lowered to 60cm where it fronts Roundwell and the revised proposal introduces pedestrian steps which are not wheelchair accessible.
Several councillors raised worries about the site of the new wall, which will be rebuilt using some unbroken bricks after the original is demolished.
Cllr Clive English said he was concerned the new wall would bear some resemblance to the original structure, adding: “It rather removes the point of listing the thing in the first place.”
Others suggested a refusal could be a slippery slope towards endangering the council’s fiveyear housing supply. Though contrary to a policy which protects the countryside, Maidstone council has allocated the site within its draft local plan.
Cllr Tony Harwood was one of those who spoke in favour, saying: “If we jeopardise the fiveyear supply, as we could do if we start to subtract from that agreed figure, we will be back in the same mess as we were last year, where we permitted many schemes that did far more harm than this application.”