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A councillor accused of being a 'hypocrite' because he opposes new homes while owning three himself and an acre of land worth a total of £1m has rejected the allegations.
An unnamed neighbour levelled the charge against Swale council's deputy leader Mike Baldock who lives in the village of Borden near Sittingbourne .
The accusation was made in an online article of a national newspaper.
But Cllr Baldock said: "The story may be factually correct but I'm no hypocrite. It makes out I run the council single-handedly but these have been collective decisions. And all my property is lodged under members' interests."
The article accused him of stopping the regeneration of Sittingbourne and saying 8,000 houses planned for Sheppey should be built across Kent instead. It also said he opposed plans for 675 homes near his main house in Wises Lane.
The unnamed neighbour is reported as saying: "Whether you're for new housing or against, it sticks in the throat. This bloke owns three houses and seems to have bought a large patch of land. God knows what for. It stinks of Nimbyism and hypocrisy."
Cllr Baldock, 52, a former Ukip member who is now part of the council's new administration coalition of independents and Labour, said: "I don't know where the figure of 8,000 homes on Sheppey comes from and we didn't stop the regeneration of Sittingbourne. We stopped the second stage which included a new £8 million council office. We didn't think that was right when people needed more affordable housing."
Cllr Baldock's portfolio of property includes one bought for £235,000 six years ago and now estimated to be worth £313,000. The other two-bed property was put into his name 24 years ago and is valued at about £419,000.
He also bought a three-bed property less than two miles away in Sittingbourne for £148,000 10 years ago. It is now worth £225,000, according to Zoopla. He also owns an acre of land bought last July for £70,000.
Cllr Baldock, cabinet member for planning, was against building 700 homes in Minster on the Isle of Sheppey and tried to veto improved road junctions on the A249 leading to Sheppey which some fear could pave the way for new homes along the road between Stockbury and Bobbing.
He is a founder member of the campaign group Borden Residents Against Development set up to oppose the construction of houses in Wises Lane.
Cllr Baldock told Mail Online: "I have three properties. Like many people I have more than one house. I'm not living in all three, there are people in them. I am enabling people who wouldn't be able to afford to buy a house to live somewhere."
He refused to reveal how much rent he charges. He said: "I have always said I will not talk about my tenants or drag them into situations which are not of their making."
On the Wises Lane development he said: "I have opposed this from the beginning as it is an inappropriate development that causes major traffic issues. I think it was in the wrong location."
He added: "We are trying to get a Local Plan that will deliver affordable housing. Far from saying we are not supporting affordable housing, we are actually trying to increase the amount of affordable housing."
Swale council covers Sittingbourne, Sheppey and Faversham .
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