A public inquiry into plans to build 450 homes in the picturesque Capstone Valley began today.

A re-submitted version of the development for Gibraltar Farm in Ham Lane, Hempstead, was rejected by councillors in December after the plans, which were almost unchanged, sparked uproar.

The application was submitted by Graham Warren on behalf of the Attwood family, who own land across the county including a substantial part of the valley.

The Attwoods appealed the decision and a public inquiry, lead by Zoe Hall, of the Planning Inspectorate, was opened this morning.

Paul Brown, speaking on behalf of the applicants, said: “The application was refused for a single reason relating to the impact of the proposal on what is said to be a locally valued landscape, and in particular the Capstone, Darland and Elm Court Area.

"Even at the time the application was made it was the appellants’ decision that Medway Council did not have a five year housing supply and that the release of greenfield sites, including areas of local landscape importance, was inevitable if Medway’s housing needs were to be met.

“This is an issue on which the council was in denial.”

Graeme Keen, speaking on behalf of the council, admitted shortfalls in the five year housing supply plan, but said it wasn’t an “automatic green light to planning permission.”

He said: “It does not mean that housing development should be permitted anywhere, but only where it amounts to sustainable development.

“The site is of key importance to maintaining the green wedge linking urban communities into the wider countryside and the North Downs, and the proposed development would significantly erode that green wedge, contributing to the coalescence of Lordswood and Hempstead.”

Vanessa Jones, chairman of Bredhurst Parish Council and Bredhurst Wildlife Action Group, said it would be a travesty if the development went ahead.

She said: “As a village which has 170 houses with 330 residents to have 450 homes on our doorstep will have a devastating effect.

“We are surrounded by arable farmland and we want to keep it that way.

“We feel the traffic would travel through out village and from the heart we feel it would be devastating for our village and the local community.

“It would be a travesty.”

The inquiry is set to continue until Thursday and a decision is expected to be announced in November.