Plans to build 300 homes in village rejected

Plans to build 300 homes near Canterbury, Kent, have been rejected following pollution fears.

An application for the "sprawling" estate on land near Howletts Animal Park, between Bekesbourne and Littlebourne, was submitted in April 2023.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) reported more than 300 objection letters were sent to Canterbury City Council (CCC), citing reasons including pollution risks and causing harm to the rural character of the village.

The planning committee rejected the plan when it met on Tuesday.

The proposal included 30% of the homes being designated as affordable, a children's play area, public green space and a community hub.

James Whitehead, of developer Gladman Homes, said at the meeting they were keen to "contribute to Canterbury's need for market and affordable housing".

The council's head of planning, Simon Thomas, said the developer's £2.2m contribution to the local primary school "would double the capacity within the school".

Parish councillor Melanie Moore said: "In times of high rainfall, sewage is backing up into people's toilets and the bottom of the village now.

"Imagine what it will be like with 46% more people in Littlebourne."

"CCC is keen to dissuade car use in Canterbury but this development is potentially putting 600 cars on the already narrow and congested Bekesbourne Road, all heading towards Canterbury."

Resident Richard Andrews, a former ecologist for the Environment Agency, said poor local sewerage infrastructure would mean the new development would pollute the Little Stour river.

Resident Henry Fitch argued the plans were "out of all proportion to the scale of housebuilding need" and would "permanently damage the character and appearance of Littlebourne".

Ward councillor Lee Castle said the decision to reject the plan - which he called a "car-dependent sprawl" - was "a win for local residents", adding the village did not have adequate walking and cycling infrastructure to support the development.

"This is not a serious attempt to address the housing crisis, it's a market-led overdevelopment dressed as a solution," he said.

Gladman Homes has been approached for comment.

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