Kentish Express Ashford & District
Fears that village will be spoiled by homes
A village will see 25 new homes built on former farmland.
Planning permission has been given for a selection of three, four and five-bedroom houses, and one and two-bedroom flats to be built on Luckley Field, to the south of Little Chequers in Wye.
The site had been earmarked for development under policy WYE2, and will include 35% affordable housing – nine units.
The application was submitted to Ashford Borough Council by Harville Farms and was approved by the council’s planning committee on August 20.
However, the plans have not received support from the parish council nor residents of Little Chequers.
Overdeveloped
They are unhappy about the high density of the homes and claim there is inadequate access, poor layout and limited space for parking.
In addition, 37 letters of objection were received from neighbours, who added that local services were already at capacity, the scheme was overdeveloped in both scale and density and that the houses would be unacceptably close to existing properties.
Speaking at the ABC planning meeting, chairman of Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council, Tony Shoults, said: “The parish council supports the development of this site for housing and has come forward with detailed proposals after very thorough consultation, to include 15 homes, and landscaping within the approved red lines.”
Mr Shoults requested that members defer the scheme while a “proper process of consultation” is carried out.
Cllr Peter Davison (Ashford Independent) also agreed that the number of homes should be reduced.
He said: “Wye is one of our most attractive villages and we must be careful we don’t spoil it.
“I’m not against it. But the density has been increased to 25 (from 20).
“This is a question of cramming. If the numbers were reduced it would be more attractive.”
However, officers said that the scheme meets the council’s spacing standards.
Cllr Graham Galpin (Con), member for Stour ward, said: “It is undoubtedly written in our Local Plan that this is a development area.”
Cllr Gerry Clarkson added: “I think some improvements can be made here, but the density does fall within the space standards set by ABC.”
T h e a p p l i c a t i o n was approved, subject to three conditions, which include softening the border between Little Chequers and the development site, retaining a footpath and looking at the close proximity of the development to the existing homes.
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