Flats to be built on field amid fears over landfill

Green land in South Ashford to be built on despite worries

Plans for affordable housing on part of a playing field have been approved - despite opponents fearing the ground is compromised by landfill.

The 17-apartment proposal will be sited on green land between Halstow Way and Noakes Meadow behind the St Simon Stock Catholic Church in Brookfield Road, however some councillors at a meeting of Ashford Borough Council’s planning committee were concerned about the location.

Older members remember a previous development on the site, built in the 1960s, which had to be demolished in the 1990s due to subsidence.

A landfill tip used to occupy the space, with the then-Ashford Urban District Council dumping inert and domestic refuse there between 1955 and 1958 until it was covered over.

This resulted in weak foundations, ground slippage and a leak of methane and carbon dioxide gas.

An underground trench was used to siphon the gas, but some were still concerned there could be problems caused by the development, which is headed up by ABC.

It includes six one-bedroom flats, seven two-bed and four three-bed, as well as a 32-space car park off Halstow Way.

All of the flats will be in one three-storey pitched roof building.

Cllr David Smith (Ash Ind) raised concerns over the land, saying: “The structure of those buildings was affected because the land was moving, and so they had to demolish them.

“I think this is an incorrect site because you don’t know what’s in there, we’d have to dig it all out to find out and that would be very costly.

“It’s also in Flood Zone 1.

“It’s because of that, I don’t think this is a desirable site and I recommend refusal.”

Part of the playing field between Halstow Way and Noakes Meadow will be built on, right, all 17 apartments will be in one three-storey pitched roof building

A map of the proposed site off Brookfield Road