Plans to build a 5,000-home 'garden community' have come under fire.

Maidstone Borough Council are eyeing up land east of the village of Lenham.

Council plans for 5,000-home garden community

The exact location of the site is not being disclosed to the public.

Council leader Martin Cox said: “There’s a proper time for public consultation.

“There’s a proper time for the release of various documents, I’m not saying that nobody should have the papers.

“The right people should have the papers to make the right decision”.

Donna Greenan is from the Maidstone Green Party and fears the infrastructure in neighbouring Lenham village will not be able to cope.

She has also condemned the loss of vital green spaces.

“5,000 homes is a very large development in that area,” she explained.

“There’s very little infrastructure and we’re also concerned how would people travel to and from work.

“The problem is once you build on a green space, you can’t unbuild on that land."

But the council argues with increasing demands for housing, projects of this scale need to be delivered.

Cllr Fay Gooch from the Maidstone Independents said: “With government housing targets, they’ve really set silly numbers.

“The formula that they are using is the same across the country and it’s very upsetting.

“We’ve got to meet these figures and if we don’t, the government will just send in their local inspector who will just plonk houses wherever they want”.

The council insists no firm decisions have been made at this stage and there is still to be a consultation during which the public can have their say.

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