Opponents of plans for 187 new homes on one of the last green spaces left in Barming, near Maidstone, have warned of the risk of sinkholes.

House-building giant Taylor Wimpey plans to erect the houses on land off Oakapple Lane, known as the pea field.

Pressure group Give Peas A Chance (GPAC) has submitted a joint statement on behalf of neighbours, setting out their objections.

Among these are an increase in traffic, particularly on Hermitage Lane, loss of countryside and impact on wildlife, and the prospect of sinkholes - which have appeared in Barming in the past.

In 2018 Tonbridge Road was shut for five months after a huge void caused the carriageway to collapse, while others opened in Broomshaw Road and nearby Orchard Fields months beforehand.

The pea fields, which back on to Broomshaw Road, have long been used by locals for exercise and walking dogs.

Last week there was uproar when they were temporarily cordoned off, save for a public footpath, for ecology work.

GPAC committee member Deborah Malthouse was so enraged she wrote to the Prime Minister about it.

She added: “The field brings the whole community together, whether you are walking the dog, cycling or running. The removal of this beautiful field will have a significant impact on us.”

Since the planning application was submitted, Maidstone Borough Council has received nearly 300 responses from residents - most objecting to it.

Taylor Wimpey bought the site in 2017, when several homeowners were offered lucrative deals to sell their properties to make way for an access road. That has since been scrapped.

The developer has also indicated it wants to build 118 homes on part of the field which falls under Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s jurisdiction, bringing the total number to 305.

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