Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson has written an open letter to Swale council objecting to its new Local Plan.

The coalition-led council was forced to extend the consultation to Friday, April 30, after objections from the Conservatives who said there was not enough time to consider the full implications.

Cllr Mike Baldock, Swale’s deputy leader, agreed to send a letter to every household in Swale explaining how to comment.

Letters began arriving last week and one ended up at Mr Henderson’s home in Eastchurch.

In it, Cllr Baldock insists the proposed allocation of 10,000 new homes, which includes 850 for Sittingbourne town centre, 850 for Queenborough and Rushenden on Sheppey, 1,100 for Teynham and 3,410 for Faversham, is balancing out what has gone before.

But Faversham is up in arms and so is Mr Henderson, whose letter, like everyone else’s, was addressed to Occupier.

“I am responding not only as a resident but also as Member of Parliament for Sittingbourne and Sheppey,” he replied and added: “Based on the figures, my constituency is being expected to accept almost half those homes. However, in my view, Sittingbourne and Sheppey’s share will actually be far higher than you are suggesting.”

He went on: “I would like to formally register my very strong objection to your proposals.”

He said Sittingbourne and Sheppey had taken “the bulk” of the borough’s housing developments over the past 30 years and insisted: “Enough is enough. My constituency should be allocated no more.”

He said there were still 3,680 homes unallocated. “My suspicion is that most of those will end up in my constituency. That is unacceptable.”

He said there were already 2,000 homes in the pipeline for Sheppey and said the infrastructure was already overstretched with congested roads and a lack of GPs and school places.

He told Cllr Baldock (Swale Independents Alliance, Borden and Grove Park) who is also the council's cabinet spokesman for planning: “You should reconsider your opposition to ‘garden communities’ which are able to provide the necessary new infrastructure.”

Highsted Park, a scheme for 10,000 homes south of Sittingbourne, which developers say would provide a new junction off the M2 and complete the northern and southern relief roads around the town, is currently ruled out.

To comment on Swale's Local Plan visit here.

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