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Councillors have rejected plans for hundreds more homes on the border of Maidstone and Aylesford, after a shock rebellion.
Developer Croudace’s proposal to build on 14 hectares of farmland next to Barming station off Hermitage Lane had been recommended for approval by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council officers.
Maidstone council was gearing up for a fight over the 330-home development, saying it would need compensation for the strain it would put on its services, given its proximity to the borough.
But Tonbridge and Malling councillors voted unanimously to refuse the scheme, after hearing of fears over the loss of farmland and open space, extra pollution, views of the North Downs being spoilt as well as the over-development of the area and the number of sink-holes which have opened up locally.
It is only the second time in five years that a development along Hermitage Lane has been rejected - and the last objection was over-turned on appeal.
Despite widespread concerns over traffic, councillors were unable to object on highways grounds because Kent Highways said the developer's promise of £1.2m towards a new £3m roundabout at the junction of Fountain Lane and Tonbridge Road in Barming, plus improvements to the junction with the A20 at Aylesford, would offset the extra cars.
The applicants were proposing two accesses to the 14-hectare site. The main one from Chapelfield Way, the approach to Hermitage Park, and a secondary turn-left only access farther to the north.
The Fountain Lane junction scheme, which had already been stalled by difficulties purchasing the necessary land from neighbours, now hangs in the balance as KCC seeks funding from elsewhere.
Hermitage Lane lies within the jurisdictions of both Tonbridge and Malling and of Maidstone councils, and both have previously granted permission for a number of developments along the road.
The proposed site is next to Croudace’s 500-home Hermitage Park development, which is nearing completion. Nearby White Post Field was recently given the go-ahead for 840 houses.
This latest application was opposed by parish councils in Aylesford, Ditton, East Malling and Larkfield, Teston and West Malling.
Aylesford Parish Council said it would infill what remained of the Mid Kent Strategic Gap, and warned it would lead to “traffic congestion nightmare.”
Ditton Parish Council objected on the grounds of a lack of infrastructure and concerns about sink-holes appearing in nearby localities.
East Malling and Larkfield Parish Council said the site was not within the borough’s existing Local Plan and was a greenfield site in extensive views.
Cllr Peter Cooling, the chairman of Teston Parish Council, said the application was not sustainable and did not therefore need to be approved by the committee even though Tonbridge and Malling currently could not demonstrate that it had a five-year housing supply.
He warned that traffic from Hermitage Lane often ended up using the traffic lights at Wateringbury crossroads which was “already one of the worst sites for air pollution.”
West Malling Parish Council objected on the basis of the “well known and long-standing traffic issues on Hermitage Lane.”
Finally, Maidstone Borough Council had objected saying the development would be highly visible from Hermitage Lane and "introduce significant development close to the road which is out of keeping with the character of this part of Hermitage Lane.”
The ward councillor for Aylesford South, Cllr Colin Williams (Con), said: “I get emails every day about the dreadful traffic on Hermitage Lane.”
Cllr Andrew Kennedy (Con) noted that the councils planning officer had said the application would result in a “severe permanent adverse effect” on the landscape and pointed out that the recent pandemic had proved how the availability of the countryside was important to residents’ heath.
Cllr David Cooper (Con) said: “People who live in the area fear this quantum of development is going to be very difficult to handle.”
Cllr Hugh Dalton (Con) was concerned about the loss of yet more agricultural land. He said: “Housing is all right, but we also have to feed our residents.”
Cllr David Thornewell (Lib Dem) was concerned about the loss of views of the North Downs.
Speaking of the number of applications for Hermitage Lane, Cllr Paul Hickmott (Lab) said : “I know this is only one piece of the jigsaw, but the jigsaw is getting awfully big.”
Cllr Robert Cannon (Con) was concerned about the effect on air quality, although the planning officer, Emma Keefe, told him: “There will be no adverse effect on air quality.”
Cllr Andrew Kennedy proposed the motion to refuse and he was seconded by Cllr David Lettington.
It was passed by 14 votes to zero.
The news was welcomed by James Willis, a campaigner for the MERLin group (the Medway Ecological Riverine Link) which seeks to ensure that there are sustainable transport links and open space corridors maintained with any development in the area, and seeks a closer collaboration between the two borough councils.
He said: "This is a marvellous result, a real victory for people power!”
He said: "In the three years of MERLin's existence, this is the first time that both authorities have really come together to oppose an unacceptable application.
"The quality of the Croudace plan was simply not good enough. It lacked essential sustainable transport links such as access to Barming Station and did not reserve enough open space."
But Mr Willis said that joy at the application's refusal was marred by a suspicion that the developer could still win approval at appeal.
He said: "This Government's planning policies favour developers and run roughshod over the views of local people, their voters. I worry what might happen."
