Residents are being encouraged to “Make Yourself Heard” over ribbon development along Hermitage Lane.

A public question and answer session on Barming Heath on Sunday was attended by around 50 residents who were able to ask questions of Maidstone councillors Fay Gooch (Ind), James Willis (Lib Dem) and Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem), and Kent County Councillors Rob Bird (Lib Dem) and Dan Daley (Lib Dem).

All are concerned about the pollution and increasing congestion already caused by the new retail park at the northern end of Hermitage Lane and likely to be worsened by the hundreds of new homes suggested at the Tonbridge and Malling at that end of the road.

Cllr Willis said: “It’s a difficult situation - Maidstone has said yes to plenty of building along our stretch of the road. So it’s difficult to tell Tonbridge and Malling they can’t have any.

“On the other hand, their draft Local Plan indicates there could be up to 3,000 more homes putting traffic on the road.

“This is already one of the busiest and most polluted spots in the borough.”

The speakers urged residents to respond to Tonbridge and Malling’s public consultation on its plan.

But Cllr Willis said: “What we really need is for Maidstone council, Tonbridge and Malling council and KCC - the highways authority - to get together on this and to make sure everything is done to alleviate the problems for residents.

“We need a comprehensive re-examination of the design and capacity of Hermitage Lane.”

*The Tonbridge and Malling Local Plan is at an early draft stage. The borough needs to find sites for 13,920 homes in the plan period which runs until 2031. The consultation document can be viewed on www.tmbc.gov.uk/localplan.

Responses need to be made by November 25.