Angry residents took to the streets last night to protest at plans to “swamp” their villages with new housing.

More than 500 Headcorn villagers signed a petition condemning the “irresponsible building and urbanisation” of their village, as proposed in Maidstone council’s draft Local Plan.

Another 1,500 residents in Lenham also signed a petition opposing the council’s housing proposals for their community.

It stated: “We believe that, what to all intent and purposes is creating another village size development within the parish, would have a devastating effect.”

Around 150 residents from both villages picketed the Town Hall ahead of a full council meeting.

Inside the chamber, it was standing-only room only and people without a seat had to listen from the overflow room.

The Headcorn petition was presented by Cllr Christine Edwards-Daem, the UKIP councillor who represents Park Wood ward, but lives in Mill Bank, Headcorn.

She said: “I call this a destruction of a village. We love Headcorn and we will fight for Headcorn.”

Homeowner Brian Llong, who presented the Lenham petition, said: “It is a recipe for disaster. Our culture will be lost forever.”

Council leader Annabelle Blackmore (Con) said: “This is an emotive subject. I do understand how the residents must feel.”

Speaking ahead of the meeting, she explained the council’s housing need figures - currently 18,600 for the next Local Plan period - was “objectively assessed” and “not something we can change.”

She said: “If it turns out that number of homes are not needed, they will not be built, but we have to plan for them.”

She said: “Headcorn has a particular problem with sewage. But although Southern Water always says the system is at capacity, it never objects to an application.

“That makes it very difficult for the council to refuse permission on those grounds.”

The council earlier received 2,000 responses to its public consultation on the Local Plan.

Cllr Blackmore said cabinet and planning officers had since reviewed all proposed sites, but discussions would be held with parish councils before any decisions were made.

The council is scheduled to put its final draft of the plan out to public consultation in February.