‘Insane’ proposals for more estates

Residents of Kennington have been left reeling by what can only be described as insane proposals to build 1,700 houses in a predominantly rural area.

These outrageous proposals to build yet more soulless estates in green fields, threaten to dump around 4,000 additional people in an area that is already struggling to give existing residents access to basic services.

No thought has been paid to the real cost to existing residents of longer queues for medical services, more traffic congestion, less green spaces and less chance of securing a desired school for their children. Even if residents do succeed in securing a school, then classrooms will be more crowded and parking for drop off will be even more stressful if these plans ever come to fruition.

This area of Kennington has been subject to similar insane proposals when residents successfully fought them and were given the backing of the Planning Inspector. At that time, developers wanted to build a devastating link road too. The fact that much of this land is Grade 1 agricultural land continues to be wilfully ignored.

Residents must regroup and fight these proposals with all their might to avoid having the Garden of England - as well as their quality of life - buried beneath yet more concrete. Mark Street, Kennington

With reference to your front page article ‘Swamped by housing?’ (KE, October 5), how long will it be before Wye becomes an urban suburb of Ashford as housing and commercial development expand like a Tsunami, and spread like a cancer?

Ashford will lack the infrastructure to support it. Kent’s countryside is rapidly disappearing. Attempts to bring it all to a halt are about as effective as King Canute was in trying to stem the inflowing tide.

Ashford makes much of its ‘green corridor’, but the cynic in me wonders if the corridor only came about because of the flood plain, where it was deemed unwise to build. Ted Prangnell, Kennington there is a massive empty building left by Bombardier. At the moment it is being used to store lorry trailers. Given the size of the building, it could be cleared out and made into small units to help start-up businesses.

It wouldn’t take much. The access road may need tweaking, but other than that there is power in the place, plenty of parking and a secure entrance.

It’s a shame the building has been left empty for so long. If that idea doesn’t work, maybe APTA pottery could re-consider building the unit outside of Ashford, when there is a building within the town.

They could still avoid the town with their lorries as they just use the Chart Road straight to the M20. Freddie Clements, Ashford the paramedics in the ambulance, the A&E staff, C.D.U staff but most of all the lovely people on Cambridge M1 ward, the doctors, nurses, ward staff, tea ladies, every single one was so kind and caring.

I sat for many hours with my husband and saw just how hard they all worked. Some of the jobs were really not very nice but were all done with a smile and a kind word.

I thank them all for making my husband’s last days as comfortable as possible. Margaret McFadzean, Beech Hill, Acrise