The Maidstone Local Plan included a site at Church Road Otham that is served by a narrow country lane, completely unsuitable for the development of over 400 homes. This was opposed by local residents as being unsuitable, yet was included within the greater Maidstone Local Plan.   

Developers Bellway submitted an OUTLINE plan for 440 homes in 2019 seeking access to the site. This was deferred by the Planning Committee after opposition by almost 500 written objections from residents.  Following a meeting between Planning Officers, Councillors and the developers, a FULL plan has now been submitted that fails to address the real issues of contention for residents. In particular these relate to highway safety, congestion, amenity, lack of infrastructure, flooding potential, land stability, not in keeping with the landscape or style of homes in the area, as well as harming the setting of an ancient church and other buildings.

Both plans have now been refused by the Maidstone Councillors at Planning Committee meetings and the developers Bellway are now seeking to have these decisions overturned at appeal.

We are asking The Planning Inspector to reject the plans numbered 19/506182/FULL, alongside the outline plan 19/501600/OUT, and ultimately for Maidstone Councillors to remove the site H1(8) from the Maidstone Local Plan at the next review stage of the Local Plan.