Hundreds of angry protestors filled a hall to rally against a proposal for 1,250 houses to be built over an orchard.

People from Twydall and the surrounding areas aired their concerns about plans at a public meeting in the Holy Trinity Church Hall, in Twydall Lane, Twydall yesterday (Tuesday, July 16).

The Pump Lane, Rainham development will include 1,250 homes, a primary school, a 60-bed extra care facility, an 80-bed care home, a village hall and green including a children’s play area.

Twydall Primary School pupil Sam Bennett, 9, said: "I don't think we should build down there because the nature will be destroyed."

His comments were met by rapturous applause from the audience, many of which were crammed along the walls of the hall to fit.

One lady said: "Every winter Pump Lane floods, the orchard used to act as a bit of a barrier to the water.

"What's going to happen now that it's concreted over?"

Another man said: "There's no mention of the council creating open spaces, we need areas to breathe.

"I want to live in Kent not London."

A local taxi driver said:"We used to have birds and squirrels but now we have nothing because they've been building outside our house in Lower Rainham Road.

"We've got no room, no parking and you can't get near the schools.

"If these houses are built Rainham will be gridlocked and the queues will back all the way to Sittingbourne."

Traffic was a key issue brought up as Councillor Mark Prenter (Lab) passed the microphone around the room.

The housing development will not lead to the destruction of Rainham Community Orchard, in Bloors Lane.

However, volunteers who work in the fields are still concerned because if plans go ahead the homes will back on to the trees.

People were also concerned there are not enough GP surgeries and felt more police officers would be needed to tackle Twydall's "mini crime wave" according to one man.

The group has planned to crowd fund to pay for an environmental expert to look through the plans.

They hope this will give them a factual, rather than emotive, argument to appeal the decision.

Anti-development posters have been made and the group is in the process of creating banners.

A public exhibition of the plans took place last weekend at Holy Trinity Church Hall, which detailed the plans.

Medway Council planning committee will make a decision by the end of September.

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