More homes? Yes, but not at any cost

The vision for Mountfield Park represents the city’s largest ever planning application. The numbers are eye-watering for a city the size of ours: 4,000 homes accommodating some 9,400 people, all living on green space to the south of the city. But let’s be clear: We have no choice but to take more homes in the district. Many more homes. Canterbury City Council had initially assessed that we need 780 new homes per year to meet targets overseen by the government. That’s now been upped to 800 per year after a governmentappointed inspector told the council to think again. So where does that leave the Canterbury district? The answer is 16,000 more homes in Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay. Perhaps, then, we must accept the inevitable, that the numbers are pretty much a done deal. That doesn’t mean we must accept any old development. Canterbury is a historic city of global significance. Developer Corinthian insists it is not just building a housing estate, it is creating a whole new community. The devil will be in the detail, of course. We would urge readers to scrutinise the plans when they’re published by the council, and have their say. We’ve known this was coming. Now let’s take a measured look at what exactly is being proposed.