A long-running row over the erection of “unauthorised” buildings and construction of roads in ancient Kent woodland will come to a head at a public planning hearing next week.

It follows a series of enforcement notices served by Canterbury City Council (CCC) on the owners of plots in Tower Wood in Adisham who are now appealing against them.

The issue was sparked in 2020 when the woods were divided up into smaller areas and sold off.

Very soon structures started appearing on the plots, complete with security fencing, lighting and hardstanding.

Campaigners for then-newly launched group Watch Over Adisham Woods began investigating the construction work and launched objections with CCC.

They argue the woodland should be protected from development.

WOAW Spokesman David Conder says: “There is ongoing concern about a number of Tower Wood plots where extensive construction work has taken place over the past two years.

“Several large buildings have been erected, tracks developed into Tarmac roadways, and electricity, water, internet connections, postboxes and CCTV installed with signs of residential activity reported.”

The council agreed and issued the enforcement notices on the grounds the developments were “undesirable and sporadic, detrimental to the countryside”.

Now, the Planning Inspectorate will consider the five appeals against the city council’s enforcement notices, which ordered the buildings to be taken down and hardstanding and roads removed and the ground restored to its natural state.

The plots under inquiry are known as Beech Farm Wood, Prioress Wood, Little Nash Wood, Cook Wood and Woodland Forestry Ltd, which all form part of the wider ancient woodland.

Three of the appeals will be addressed through a public hearing at the Guildhall in Canterbury on Tuesday, September 3, while the other two will be considered through written representations only, with the inspector giving a decision in all five cases at a later date.

One of the woodland owners, John Horton, who is appealing against an enforcement notice over a cabin he has erected in Woodlands Wood, previously told KentOnline the building was needed for his woodland manager to work from and that he was planting thousands of trees.

“The only ‘buildings’ we have are a mobile timber chalet - needed by employment law for his health and wellbeing - and secure storage for our tools,” he said.

“The so-called building materials are actually sacks used to store tree protection materials and hose piping for irrigation. And we haven’t laid any hardstanding or tarmac roads.

“The only reason we have put up fencing is to protect the young trees and allow grazing in the future, which is good for land management.”

Mr Horton says he had also planted several wildflower meadows, in addition to 100,000 trees and hedgerows he had added to his plot over three years.

He claimed to have spent £300,000 enhancing the woodland, on top of more than £1 million paid for the land.

Campaigners from WOAW and local residents are expected to attend the hearing and speak against the appeals.

The WOAW group is also holding a public information meeting about the appeal hearing at Adisham Village Hall tomorrow (Tuesday, August 27) between 7pm and 9pm.