Opponents of development at Junction 8 of the M20 - and they are many - are calling it Black Tuesday.

Because on Tuesday, only days after Maidstone council had refused a second planning application from Gallaghers to build a business park at Waterside Park, councillors voted to accept the principle of employment development at Junction 8.

At a joint meeting of the Planning, Transport and Development Scrutiny Committee, together with the Economic and Commercial Development Scrutiny Committee, members were asked to consider two new reports from planning officers which argued for the inclusion of an allocation at Junction 8 in the emerging Local Plan.

Previously Junction 8 had not been included, because it was said there were enough opportunities to develop warehouse, industrial and office sites elsewhere in the borough - in fact there was an oversupply of industrial space.

But officers had commissioned a new report from planning consultants GVA Grimley, which argued there was a difference between “quantitative demand” and “qualitative demand" - arguing Maidstone had enough sites but they were of the wrong type.

There was an unmet demand for land with good motorway connections. Officers concluded: “The balance of planning and economic development considerations now weighs in favour of identifying land in the location of Junction 8 in the emerging Local Plan.”

The meeting lasted four and a half hours, but eventually councillors accepted the principle of development there, provided that restrictions could be imposed to limit development to a specific site.

Some councillors were in favour. Cllr Mike Hogg (Con) said: “I can see the benefits; it will reduce a lot of the traffic problems in the south of the borough.”

Cllr Paul Harper (Lab) said: “With public sector employment in decline, we need to positively encourage firms. We can't afford to lose any employment land.”

Some councillors were sceptical, with Cllr Val Springett (Con) asking if there was such a manifest demand, why hadn’t the opportunities at Eclipse Park, near Junction 7 of the M20, been taken up?

Some councillors were totally opposed: Cllr Nick de Wiggondene (Con) said: “it’s a No from me.“

Cllr Martin Round said: “Junction 8 should be removed (from the plan). It’s the gateway to the rural Weald.

Cllr Clive English (Lib Dem) said: “If junction 8 is to be included, it needs mitigation on a scale similar to Hayle Place Stud Farm in Tovil, where a large part of the land was given to a public trust, to ensure we don't end up with urban sprawl.”

Cllr Derek Butler (Con) asked: ”Is there an alternative to including Junction 8?”

Principal planning officer Sarah Anderton replied: “The short answer is No. Junction 8 is the only option.”

Both committees unanimously agreed to accept the inclusion of Junction 8, if officers could bring back to a meeting in January a satisfactory threshold of measures to limit the harm caused.

But Cllr de Wiggondene warned: “I don’t believe this threshold can be met.”