Hundreds of people have joined a Facebook group calling for a halt to house building on the Island until the necessary infrastructure is in place.

Sheppey NO more houses! was set up in response to the news that 147 homes are proposed for the former HBC Engineering site in Power Station Road, Halfway.

In a week, 350 people had signed up to the page, which says the Island needs more jobs, better traffic management, more schools, doctors and dentists and better sports and recreational facilities before any more homes are put up.

Louise Brightman-Stokes, who is one of the Power Station Road residents to start it, said: “We want to get people’s views, both for and against this proposal and also suggestions on what they would like to see on the land as there’s no point opposing something if you haven’t got other viable alternatives.

“From the interest we are getting it certainly proves the majority of people really do not want more houses to be built on Sheppey.”

Although there are comments about the whole Island, Halfway is of particular concern because of other planned developments including Sheppey Court in Halfway Road and fears over the old Danley Middle School site being used for housing if the Halfway Houses primary move doesn’t go ahead.

A discussion about what residents would rather see built on the land has prompted suggestions including a cinema, cemetery, hotel and restaurant, bowling alley, go-kart track, sports complex and a park and gardens.

Stuart Seager posted in the group saying: “If any more houses go up on this Island, we’ll be going back to the old days of queuing back to Iwade.

“If we create more jobs on the Island, perhaps fewer people will find it necessary to travel off, reducing the traffic and the extremely high unemployment figures we suffer.”

Mrs Brightman-Stokes’s husband Andrew urged as many residents as possible to ‘take action’ when the planning application goes in.

“We need to write or submit our objections regarding the parking issues along Power Station Road this may cause,” he said.

“The issues we have with the roundabout where people are having near misses, the sewer, drainage and flooding issues in the Halfway area generally.

“The impact this will cause to traffic along Halfway Road, Queenborough Road and further down the A249.

“This is to name but a few issues.”