A group campaigning to preserve the area's green corridors has just taken a major step forward.

Six months ago, the Medway Ecological Riverine Link (MERlin for short) submitted an application to have an area of land at Bunyards Farm at Aylesford declared a Village Green.

The group made the application to the responsible body, Kent County Council, on June 14, and was initially told a decision would usually take six weeks.

The group was told by KCC that the lengthy delay was due to a slow response from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to inquiries from KCC about the planning status of the 12-hectare site, something the borough denied.

A Tonbridge and Malling spokesman said: "We have responded to KCC at various points during the past few months saying that we are not aware of any further information than they already have, and so it is now this is a matter for KCC to determine their position."

But on Monday, MERLin heard from KCC that their application had now been officially registered.

A group spokesman, Chris Passmore, said: "That does mean our application has been approved - there is still a long way to go in the process, but it means that KCC has accepted that we have supplied sufficient evidence for an application to be considered."

To be declared a village green, the public must have had, and made use of, unfettered access to the land for at least 20 years.

MERLin has obtained evidence statements from a number of people to say that is the case, but now the process has begun in earnest, they would like more.

Mr Passmore said: "Whether you live near the site now, or whether you did so in the past and have since moved away, we need to hear from you if you used the land, whether it was for dog-walking, picking blackberries or whatever."

If successful, the Village Green application would prevent the land - which is the last remaining green space between Allington and Aylesford - being built on.

Last month, developer Barrett David Wilson revealed it hoped to erect 435 homes on the field off Beaver Road - though it has yet to submit a formal planning application.

Mr Passmore said: "No doubt Barrett David Wilson will object to our village green application, but our understanding is that no planning permission can now be granted on this site until the application has been determined and we believe there are clear grounds for the application to be approved."

Anyone who can help provide further evidence of public use is asked to email Mr Passmore on chris.passmore33@gmail.com