Only two private letters of objection have so far been been received against the detailed proposal to build a housing estate on a flood plain in Paddock Wood, even though the applicant is now leaving open the door to even more houses than were at first put forward.

Back in February 2018, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council granted outline consent to Rydon Homes for 300 homes on land at Church Farm, east of Paddock Wood town centre and south of the rail-line.

At that time the controversial application attracted 516 letters of objection.

The site has since been acquired by Countryside Properties and the firm has submitted a detailed application for 300 homes, but has squeezed the houses up so that they no longer take up the whole of the 24-hectare site.

The firm is leaving two areas blank "for potential future development" and suggests they might be the subject of a future application of between 50 and 60 more homes.

Paddock Wood Town Council has objected to the plans, saying: "The original application was for 300 dwellings. This application provides for the same number of properties on a smaller proportion of the land and is unduly over intensive."

However, the majority of the town council's comment are to do with the detail of flooding and drainage arrangements.

Curiously two other developers are also unhappy with Countryside's scheme.

Judith Ashton, an agent acting for both Redrow Homes and Persimmon Homes, said that her clients had interests in the land to the east and were unhappy that the Countryside scheme was not providing a link through to them. She said the Countryside scheme was effectively preventing the provision of the best public transport route to future developments. She has asked the borough council to require Countryside to amend its plans accordingly.

Application number 19/03655 refers.

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