Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Save fields of gold
of this valuable land left and we so desperately need it. Yes, we need new houses, but we also need agricultural land too, even more so since Brexit. It would also be a tragedy to lose this beautiful countryside that is part of Canterbury’s heritage.”
LANRA secretary Malcolm Harris has also expressed concerns. He said: “This development would destroy the crescent of high grade agricultural land which is of equal historical
What do you think? Email kentishgazette@thekmgroup. co.uk or write to Gazette House, 5-8 Boorman Way, Wraik Hill, Whitstable, CT5 3SE importance to the growth of the city as the river crossing and the cathedral and monastery.
“It is also too close to the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in contravention of national policy.”
He also says serious questions remain over the transportation plan and the city’s ability to cope with the extra traffic.
“Despite detailed questioning by LANRA at public meetings, the council has no answer as to how the vehicles from 4,000 extra homes in the vicinity of already clogged arterial roads would be accommodated,” he said.
“The inclusion in the plan of ‘fast’ bus routes and cycle paths does not remove this issue. At a conservative estimate there would be more than 5,000 extra vehicles.
“Full consultation cannot be deemed to be done unless the detailed modelling is available. LANRA would question why this is not in the public domain.”
Mr Harris admits they have a fight on their hands in the face of government policy and the land is already earmarked for development in the Local Plan without any concerns raised at hearings by the planning inspector.
“But we still have to fight to the end to try and get some kind of mitigation for this precious farmland,” he said.