Keep housing under control

We are delighted that the Local Plan has finally been signed off by Ashford Borough Council, effectively deterring speculative house-builders from submitting applications to put up more new homes in Tenterden and St Michaels. As it stands, some 500 new houses are already being built in the town and we are facing applications from developers which would at least double that number.

So we are delighted that the planning inspector has been quite specific that Tenterden

has allocated sufficient new homes until at least 2030, reinforcing the policy that housing should always be Plan-led and not developerled. Tenterden Town Council shares the concerns expressed by residents that significant new developments would pose unsustainable pressures on our local schools, doctors’ surgery and car parking. In the case of the latter, this will be damaging to tourism in Tenterden, which makes such a valuable contribution to the town’s economy.

I would like to thank Cllr Gerry Clarkson, leader of ABC, for being quite clear about how the council will defend the Local Plan against speculative developers seeking to capitalise on the beauty of the area.

We quite understand why developers want to build in Tenterden. The town is embarking on an exciting era which will see major improvements to the Recreation Ground and Town Hall and even the possibility of a new cinema.

We have co-funded a state-ofthe-art 3G pitch at Homewood School and attracted new retailers to our High Street. Keeping the housing supply under the strictestpossible control is essential to the overall well-being of Tenterden and so the implementation of the Local Plan is an extremely welcome development.

Cllr Pam Smith,

Mayor of Tenterden