A bid to replace one bungalow with three “huge” houses on the edge of ancient woodlands in Kent is set for approval despite fears over traffic.

The plot on the Ridgewaye, Southborough, currently hosts one large chalet bungalow, with a 60 metre path leading to it, on the edge of Brokes Wood ⁠— a protected area of ancient woodland.

In total, 35 objections have been lodged against the controversial plan, but Tunbridge Wells council planning chiefs are recommending it be approved.

In a council report officers say the proposal would result in the delivery of “sustainable development” and it “would not be significantly harmful” to the amenities of neighbouring properties.

Beau Architects, writing on behalf of the applicants, said “The scheme will improve the character and quality of the existing site for both people and wildlife by replacing existing areas of hardstanding with additional soft landscaping to encourage biodiversity.”

It says this will create a “more verdant feel” to the site to reinforce its setting as “an interface with Brokes Wood”.

In 2018 another application to flatten the bungalow and replace it with four new homes was rejected by the council's planning committee, who said they would be “cramped and overdeveloped”.

The plans for three four-storey homes, with basement levels built into the slope of a hill, are being treated more favourably by the local authority as it doesn’t have a five-year supply of housing.

Alister Clarke, who lives on nearby Brian Crescent, wrote in to the planning committee to object to the bid.

He expressed his fears of “increased hazards on the highway and danger to current local residents and dog walkers”, owing to issues of viability on the junction between the Ridgewaye and Hillcrest.

“The area has already been developed to capacity with the development of the flats overlooking the Ridgeway playing fields meaning congestion at the junction of Ridgeway and Yew Tree Road is horrific at peak times,” Mr Clarke added.

“The proposed three houses are also huge at four storeys high and five beds in the main house.

“The construction process, should it go ahead, will be highly disruptive as there is no safe access to the site and not enough parking currently on Ridgeway and Hillcrest due to narrow roads and the number of dropped curbs.”

Several residents wrote in to argue that the plans ignore a hedge which limits passing drivers’ ability to see the driveway to the plot.

Emma Underwood wrote to the planning committee that for those driving down Hillcrest and towards the Ridgewaye “there is zero visibility” due to an eight foot high, private hedge which borders the side of a property and runs round the corner of the proposed access point.

“You cannot see through the hedge! You can only see down the access path to the site once you are actually on the corner of where Hillcrest becomes Ridgeway,” she said.

“At this point it is too late to see an oncoming vehicle and there would be a collision.”

However, Kent County Council’s highways department wrote that they recognise “that the proposals will require removal of the hedge to the north along the driveway”.

John Spicer, of Hillcrest, wrote: “The footpaths to the left and right of the property are in constant use by pedestrians and particularly dog walkers and children and it is quite obvious that they would be put at risk of injury should this application be granted.”

The application is set to go before the council's planning committee tomorrow.