Gladmans Developments have aquired a beautiful rural area in North Kent and approval for 225 houses to be built on this agricultural land, and fields and hedgerows that support wildlife that are rich in acricultural and cultural heritage. The houses will be built where there were orchards and wheat fields and where Charles Dickens often roamed on his  walks in the area from his home in nearby Gads Hill in the village of Higham. These are fields where redwing birds from Scandinavia flocked on winter days to feed on berries and withered fruit, and where hedgehogs scent marked in early spring.

As final approval for the houses has been granted there is very little that the local SAVE Cliffe Woods group can now achieve but I have drafted a proposal for a 32 % reduction of the number of houses and for an area to be created to support wild life. This would consist of meadows to attract bees, a  wooded area consisting of native deciduous trees, a wetland area to attract migrating birds,a community orchard to reflect the rich agricutural heritage ; a traditional Kentish barn as an educational &  heritage centre run by a Community Trust.

All of the above would enrich outdoor learning for local children