Developers have traded blows with Medway Council at the start of a six-day battle over the future of Hoo.

Taylor Wimpey’s proposal for 475 homes on greenfield land west of the village was thrown out by Medway Council, but the final say will go to planning inspector Paul Clark who launched an inquiry into the plans this week.

Opening statements saw Morag Ellis QC insist on behalf of the developers that the proposed scheme's design was "landscape led", "responding sensitively and positively to topography" and that it included open spaces.

She insisted any adverse impacts were outweighed by the benefits of the development - crucially that it would help address a "serious deficiency" in Medway's housing supply.

"There has been a history of progressively worsening delivery in Medway for the past 10 years," said Ms Ellis, adding: "the ramifications of this general situation in Medway are woeful, in particular for the thousands of people who are in need of housing assistance."

"There can be no doubt that the proposed development would cause adverse harm to the character of this landscape...” - Robert Williams, solicitor for Medway Council

Medway Council's solicitor Robert Williams said the new housing estate would undoubtedly harm the character of the area and its landscape - including the Deangate Ridge and nearby Hoo farmland - and lead to Hoo St Werburgh merging with the Chattenden.

He added: "This large scale development in a sensitive and valued landscape would lead to a significant urbanisation of what is, at the moment, an attractive rolling area of countryside with pleasant and distinctive views to and across it and which acts as a green gap between settlements.

"There can be no doubt that the proposed development would cause adverse harm to the character of this landscape.”

He slammed suggestions that the site would be a "sustainable development", noting that residents would have to travel to Hoo village to use facilities and services.

He added: "The suggestion that a significant number of the proposed residents would ever - let alone regularly - walk the 40-50 minute round trip to the village centre in order to say shop at the Co-op or Spar supermarkets, visit Taggs coffee shop or make use of the local library is risable."

He concluded: "While there’s a need for housing development in Medway, this is the wrong development in the wrong location to address that need."

The inquiry is expected to conclude on Tuesday next week.