A village recreation ground could soon be flanked by a housing development.

Plans have been put forward for a 20-home development, plus a shop and changing rooms, around a playing field off Eastwood Road in Ulcombe, near Maidstone.

In planning documents lodged with Maidstone council, Esquire Developments says the homes will be “architecturally unique and respond to the local palette of materials.”

The development would be built on one plot of land to the east of the village rec and another to the west.

However, Esquire Developments stressed the cricket and football pitches would not be affected by its plans.

It would, however, build changing rooms for the sports pitch at the rec – set to be a prefabricated building behind the existing village hall.

The firm also plans to introduce a village shop, which will “evoke the history of the former cricket clubhouse in Ulcombe.”

Esquire says it is keen on “strengthening the concept of the village green as the heart of the local community”.

Of the 20 homes, eight are set to be marketed as affordable housing.

Four of the homes will be two-bed, five will be three-bed, seven will be four-bed and two will be five-bed.

All will have air-source heat pumps instead of gas boilers to provide heating and hot water, which “can deliver CO2 reductions by 50%,” the developers say.

It is not yet known when Maidstone council’s planning department will decide on the application, but an internal deadline of January 2024 has been set.