Villagers celebrate as plan for dozens of homes rejected

Wait of more than a year for inspector’s verdict

Villagers are celebrating their “David and Goliath-style” victory over a landowner who wanted to build 45 homes on a farm.

Residents of East Street, Harrietsham, campaigned relentlessly against the proposal, which they felt would ruin the character of the village.

They were rewarded for their efforts when Maidstone Borough Council rejected the application – which first surfaced in December 2015 – last July.

But the Cysters family, who own the land as well as historic properties in the village and farms across the South East, appealed to the Planning Inspectorate to overturn the decision.

It took more than a year, but last month a judgement was finally made.

Christopher Anstey, planning inspector, agreed with Maidstone council that the scheme would amount to sporadic development in the area, spoiling the view of the countryside from East Street, Church Road, Fairbourne Lane, Ashford Road, and two public footpaths.

He added it was not in keeping with the borough’s emerging local plan, despite the Cysters’ protests that there was already a backlog of new homes yet to be built in Maidstone and that the scheme offered a way of addressing that.

The village, which has a population of 2,113, is in line for 315 new homes by 2031.

Tony Chiva, who objected to the proposal and lives in East Street, said: “This really was a David and Goliath battle and the residents of this one street took on the landowners and delivered thousands of leaflets to fight this.

“Due to a hold-up in the process the appeal took more than a year, but finally we’re celebrating.

“I was very nervous as the decision date approached and everyone is over the moon with the outcome.

“The development was completely inappropriate for the area.”