It is not often that parish councils are enthusiastic to see more homes built in their area, but Boxley Parish Council is very much hoping some company will take up the chance to develop nine homes in Walderslade.

The land, at the junction of Wildfire Close and Walderslade Woods Road, is being offered for sale through RPC Land and New Homes. It comes with a scheme for six three-bedroom terrace homes and three four-bedroom detached houses units already approved by Maidstone council.

The site, which comes in at just under one acre, is part of the Walderslade Woodlands, and a legal condition of the planning consent is that on completion of the sale, the ownership of the remaining 34 hectares of woodland is passed to the parish council together with the profit from the sale.

The money will be ring-fenced in a fund to support an agreed 25-year management plan to be implemented by to a new charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) which the parish council will set up with a working group of volunteers.

The CIO will hold the land on a long lease from the parish council and will be responsible for the day-to-day management and improvement of the woods.

It will also be given custody of the fund. Actual ownership of the land will remain with the council on behalf of the local community.

Council chairman Bob Hinder said: “Some years ago, local residents made it clear that they felt strongly that the woodlands needed long-term protection for community use and that they should be transferred to the custody of the parish council, which was in a better position to care for them.

"The parish council got the woodlands registered as a village green and then sought to obtain ownership with sufficient funding to allow better maintenance for years to come.

"Hopefully with a successful sale of the land at Wildfell Close this vision is coming closer."

Potential developers can see the scheme here.

The closing date for offers is July 26.