A planning inspector has turned down an appeal to build over a thousand homes on an orchard.

Controversial plans for build 1,250 homes off Pump Lane in Rainham were the subject of a huge campaign effort from those wanting to protect the farmland.

The application was turned down by Medway Council's planning committee in June 2020 and the applicant, fruit growers AC Goatham and Son, subsequently submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

The proposals also included a primary school, a 60-bed extra care facility, an 80-bed care home, and a village hall.

An inquiry took place virtually in February this year, during which the inspector Jennifer Vyse heard representations from the council, ward representatives, residents, and the area's MP Rehman Chishti.

A notice from the Secretary of State's office dismissing the appeal was sent to the council today (Wednesday, November 3).

Among the reasons given in the letter for the decision, Mike Hale, decision officer at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, said despite the fact the council has yet to publish an updated Local Plan and lacks a five-year housing land supply, the Secretary of State agreed with the inspector that the development would have "a substantial adverse landscape and visual impact, with corresponding harm to the character and appearance of a wide swathe of countryside between Lower Rainham Road and Twydall/Rainham".

It was also concluded the housing scheme would amount to a "severe residual cumulative impact on the local highway network."

In July, the council's head of planning Dave Harris revealed how they had spent £250,000 defending the appeal.

When the proposals were first advertised, over 1,000 people signed an online petition objecting to the plans; over 3,300 comments were also submitted on the council's planning portal.

Protests took place across Rainham, Gillingham, and in Hoo at AC Goatham and Son's headquarters; windows across the Towns were plastered posters saying, "Save our Orchards".

Rainham North councillor Martin Potter (Con) said himself and fellow representative Cllr Kirstine Carr (Con) were "delighted" by the result.

He added: "This is a great outcome because it's such a strong and decisive rejection on grounds of the severe highways impact, significant landscape harm, harm to heritage, and the loss of the highest quality agricultural land.

"The council's dedicated planning team did a superb job at putting together the refusal case and the appointed legal counsel did a first class job defending the council's refusal.

"This has come at a cost of £250,000, but the council have been awarded partial costs to be paid by AC Goatham.

"The whole Rainham community should give itself a big pat on the back because this was truly a community effort from everyday residents to local pubs, shops, community groups, the MP, and folks from across the political spectrum.

"A special thanks should go to the efforts of the dedicated steering group of residents. We have campaigned as a community and we have won as a community."

Stuart Bourne, spokesman for Medway Liberal Democrats, which has also been lobbying against the development, said: "This is truly amazing news and a victory for the people of Rainham. Those orchards are a precious source of habitat for our wildlife , a source of apples for our tables, and source of beauty for our souls.

"Destroying them would have been destroying a part of ourselves. I would like to personally thank the hard working team behind the Against the Development of the Orchard campaign. These are wonderful community champions that have volunteered their time to help our town."

Kate Belmonte, a member of the Pump Lane Steering Group, said: "I was utterly delighted to read the decision to dismiss the AC Goatham appeal.

"The result is by far the best we could have hoped for with the reasons for dismissal being precise and unquestionable.

"The land will remain as a profitable orchard providing the UK with UK grown produce, something which I am passionate about being protected.

"Not having a local plan in place will mean we will continue to be flooded with opportunistic applications such as this and the fight now moves to Lidsing where 2,000 plus homes are proposed on yet more agricultural land and to the Hoo Peninsula where in excess of 12,000 homes are earmarked for building on the best and most versatile agricultural soil.

"The council and the government must acknowledge the importance of both agricultural land, biodiversity and ecology and protect them within the National Planning Framework something we do not feel is currently sufficiently expressed.

"My personal thanks go to my fellow Pump Lane Steering Group members and our amazing community, made up of thousands of residents, whom without the dedicated support and passion this application would not have received the scrutiny it deserved. We must now take this win but be prepared to continue fighting for both people and planet.

Stuart Bourne, from the Medway Liberal Democrats said: "This is truly amazing news and a victory for the people of Rainham.

"Those orchards are a precious source of habitat for our wildlife , a source of apples for our tables, and source of beauty for our souls.

"Destroying them would have been destroying a part of ourselves."

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