STOP WINTERBOURNE FIELDS DEVELOPMENT in Dunkirk, Kent.

Protect Foresters Lodge Farmland.

As residents in the area, we witness the beauty and tranquillity of Foresters Lodge farmland and the adjacent ancient South Blean woodland reserve. This is a designated area of High Landscape Value and of ecological, historical, and cultural importance. The land is not allocated for housing in the Swale Local Plan or the Boughton and Dunkirk Neighbourhood Plan.

The proposed, unsustainable Winterbourne Fields development of 1,815 dwellings would change the entire character of the area and destroy adjacent ancient woodland.

Important and productive local farmland will be lost forever. It will disrupt the peaceful habitat and historic footpath network and threaten the natural environment. The ecological impact of such a development will be disastrous, negatively impacting diverse wildlife species and leading to habitat loss. Many key wildlife and conservation groups have objected to the development.

The proposed construction would increase traffic, noise, light, chemical, and air pollution. The isolated nature of the site means the development will lack amenities and force people into their cars, causing further congestion and impacting safety on already crowded local roads and highways. The local infrastructure, particularly the water supply, sewage, and road network, is already straining and will not cope with such a development.

The current government has stated its commitment to preserving greenfield land, which has served England’s towns and cities well over many decades. They promised to take a strategic approach to greenfield land designation and release to build homes in the right places. They aim to release lower quality ‘grey belt’ land. This surely cannot mean areas of importance and great beauty such as Foresters Lodge farmland.

We all share a collective responsibility to protect our local environment, its flora and fauna, and the lifestyle it affords us. The proposed development threatens not just the environment but also the very fabric of our community and the way of life we cherish. It is essential to stop this proposed development and put the health of our environment and community first.

ACT NOW AND SIGN THIS PETITION. Urge local government to reject this planning proposal and preserve our beloved Dunkirk village, Foresters Lodge farmland and the ancient South Blean woodland.

For more information on how you can support this campaign, please visit our website, www.stopwinterbournefields.com

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