A small Kent village is set to double in size after being earmarked for thousands of new homes.

Reporter Alex Jee looks at the ambitious proposals for Whitfield, near Dover, and speaks to those affected by such drastic change...

Twenty years ago, the relatively small village of Whitfield housed 1,810 dwellings.

Today, almost 6,000 homes are planned for empty land surrounding the once modestly sized parish.

Huge building projects mean the village is set to more than double in size as plans progress for the Whitfield Urban Expansion, with a total of 5,750 new homes assigned as part of the Local Plan.

Alongside housing estates, major investment has been made for a new rapid, zero-emission bus service called Dover Fastrack.

A new road and bridge have also been created to connect those living in Whitfield with Dover town centre.

Already home to a massive retail park including two supermarkets and council offices, a doctor's surgery is in the works while a school has already been built.

But not everyone is a fan of the significant changes, with one resident saying they feel trapped, and another claiming the place already feels like a town.

Cllr Nicholas Kenton (Con), who is now shadow cabinet member for planning and environment, previously described the situation as “an example of the ambitious investment taking place in the Dover district”.

“It is exciting to see so much happening in Whitfield, with the phase one building continuing and the construction of the road for Dover Fastrack and the new bridge being installed,” he added.

“It is so important that much-needed homes are being provided for local families and to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder.

“This development of sustainable, high-quality homes served by community infrastructure, including the rapid, eco-friendly Dover Fastrack, will make Whitfield a great place for people to live and work.”

But when our reporter visited the village, one Cranleigh Drive resident said: “This is not something that residents here ever wanted, as far as I’m concerned.

“It’s not something we asked for but equally it’s not something that we can do much about now that it’s been adopted as part of the Local Plan.

“I personally feel a bit trapped – I’ve lived in the area for two decades but where I am now is soon going to be surrounded by new-builds. I don’t feel much hope for the future.”

Elaine Nicolls and Adine Brooks, who work at Boost Kitchen in Sandwich Road, say the village “used to be a really nice place to live”, but is being spoiled by the planned expansion.

“It’s one of those things that does not really affect us in terms of the cafe, but does as residents in the village,” Ms Nicolls said.

“It’s no longer a village – or it won’t be for much longer. I’ve lived in the area since 1986. Where I live, now they’ve built the new houses, it feels like an accident waiting to happen on the roads.

“The area really misses the green space that’s been taken up by the new houses.

“They are definitely making it into a town now – they’ve got Lidl, a swimming pool, things that are appealing for people but it just is not the same anymore.”

Last month, a new application for more than 300 homes was submitted for land near Archer’s Court Road - marking the second phase of the huge project.

Phase one was launched with the approval of about 1,400 homes in three sections on land bordering the south-east side of Archers Court Road – some 200 or more of which have already been constructed.

Included in this is a section of 159 homes along 12 streets, all named after birds of prey and seabirds, including Peregrine Place, Harrier Way, Guillemot Way and Redshank Drive.

A 66-bed care home, health and social care centre, and retail space have also been approved as part of the plans.

A separate, smaller development of 26 affordable homes has been completed along Napchester Road, to the north-west.

These are a mix of one and two-bedroom flats along with two, three, and four-bedroom houses, as well as a wheelchair-accessible five-bed home.

Much of the planning and construction is expected to be completed by 2040 – the timeframe of the current Dover District Local Plan - and the rest afterwards.

Terry Sutton, who has lived and worked as a journalist in the area for more than six decades, described the plans as “too ambitious”.

“I discovered that the plane of Whitfield was going to be used as a base to build lots of homes, but nobody was interested in publishing it – and now it has come to pass,” he quipped.

“The area has changed dramatically – I’ve lived here for more than 60 years and it has changed beyond recognition.

“In the lane where I live we didn’t even have mains drainage, so there are improvements there but it’s the scale on which they are building. I feel that it is too ambitious.”

However, some also take stock of the potential benefits of the development and increased footfall to the area.

Kanagaratnam Rajaseelan, managing director of Whitfield Service Station and hotel owner in Dover, says businesses will reap the rewards of the work.

“It’s good for businesses that are already here; some have closed in the last few years because they have not been able to drum up enough business,” he said.

“We need more people to come and use the facilities here. I think it is a good move in that respect, from a business angle.

“However, as well as the houses we need the infrastructure to support it, and that means the roads and more facilities in general.”

Planning documents submitted by Pentland Homes for the latest 309 properties state that developers aim to create “a unique sense of place that will enhance the locally distinctive qualities of the neighbourhood”.

A further stage of building is expected to take up land to the north-west – the other side of the land in question to the first phase of the development.

Whitfield Parish Council has written to Dover District Council (DDC) to express “major concerns about the extent of the overall development plans for Whitfield and the lack of provision for social and community infrastructure and services”.

“Such large-scale development remains contrary to the wishes of the majority of Whitfield residents,” it added.

National Highways fell short of saying the plans should not go ahead, but recommended that approval be withheld until at least the start of November due to concerns raised over the effect that it would have on local traffic, particularly on the A2.

The NHS also wrote regarding the development, saying the 309 homes would see about 742 new patients for local GPs, and demanded a total of just under £267,000 towards new or renewed infrastructure to support the increased weight.

It is not known if this figure would be separate to, or part of, funds for the current plans to construct a new medical centre between Arable Drive and Field View Road on the northern edge of the village.

Referred to only as Whitfield Medical Centre, the two-storey building will replace Whitfield Surgery off Sandwich Road and cater for 15,000 patients.

Upon completion it will also include 57 parking spaces, consisting of six disability ones and six electric charging points.

A council spokesperson added that services normally provided within a hospital setting or other clinics could also be on offer at the new building, freeing up facilities for specialist procedures.

Reaction to the plans is generally positive among residents in the village, with many saying it is “badly needed”.

Karen Wellert, speaking on DDC’s planning portal, said: "I support this needed medical centre and look forward to this being built.”

Anne Chamberlain also wanted the centre, but said: "I just hope that there will be a bus that goes to it so that people who do not drive and maybe have mobility issues can get there.”

At present, the nearest bus stop is at Forge Lane, 330 metres away.

Plans for the centre were submitted in November last year, with DDC issuing a press release confirming they had been approved – although as of the time of writing, the planning portal still says the plans are awaiting a decision.

One consistent theme among residents and businesses in the area is the feeling that promises and commitments made during planning for the development are not being upheld.

This particularly relates to the amount of infrastructure that is being built alongside the homes in comparison to what has been pledged.

An excerpt from a letter from Whitfield Parish Council to DDC says: “It is a matter of recorded fact that the developers of Phase 1 have repeatedly been allowed to disregard the planning conditions and SPD requirements of the Phase 1 application, and to carry out development outside of the requirements set out in the Whitfield SPD to suit their own objectives and convenience.

“A prime example of this is when the Phase 1 developer began building houses and allowing occupancy of them before the A256 bypass roundabout junction had been completed, contrary to the SPD and agreed planning applications.

“This resulted in construction traffic and new residents using Archer’s Court Road for over a year, which was specifically against all permissions and documents.

“Unless you tie them down… you will get nowhere”

“The 66-bed care home included for Phase 1 has not been brought forward, [and] the provision of an energy centre has been dropped.

“The requirement for affordable housing was also dropped, [resulting in] a loss of 420 affordable homes for the Dover district.”

Mr Sutton added: “It’s typical of the housing business really - they make promises to get planning consent but then they get out of it further down the line.

“They all do it – if you’re on the planning committee, you realise that’s what they say, but unless you tie them down tightly, you will get nowhere.”

Halsbury Homes, the original developers behind Phase 1, has been contacted for comment.

The extensive expansion project is also being supported by the construction of a new fast-track public transport route.

When complete, the £34 million project will serve the new Dover electric bus service, which is being heralded as the county’s first zero-emission bus route.

There will also be a new link road from the B&Q roundabout in Whitfield to Dover Road at Guston.

Again the junction with Dover Road will be for buses, bicycles and pedestrians only, with bus services expected to pick up in frequency to match the Whitfield expansion.

You can find out all that you need to know about the fast-track route here.

Work was started in February of last year, and is currently on track to be completed in the autumn.

As part of the overall works, there has also been construction on a huge multi-million-pound retail park beside the village.

The White Cliffs Retail Park was completed at the end of May in 2015.

The 45,000 square foot development in Honeywood Parkway, near Tesco, has been home to B&M bargains, a KFC drive-thru and a Pets at Home store among others.

In May, the leadership of DDC changed hands for the first time in 20 years.

Labour won the 17 seats needed to gain overall control of the authority in the district election.

Speaking to KentOnline about the new administration’s approach to the local plan, Cllr Edward Biggs says the council is facing “difficult decisions” with housing.

“Obviously as the new administration our priority is making sure that we sort housing out for the people of the district,” he added.

“The local plan was a cross-party product, and we are in a difficult situation in terms of government targets – if we don’t fulfill them then they will take the responsibility away from us.

“Whitfield was one area in the district where we could accommodate the government targets.

“Everybody in the country doesn’t want new housing by them but then everyone appreciates that we need more housing.”