Housing Secretary Calls Inquiry into Kent “New Town” Development

Proposals for a “new town” in Kent have been referred to the government for a conclusive decision following an intervention by the housing secretary. Swale Borough Council was scheduled to make a determination on Thursday regarding the construction of 8,400 homes near Sittingbourne, but reported that the government intervened just hours before the meeting. Planning officers had previously advised the council to vote against the initiative, with campaigners asserting it would strain existing infrastructure and harm the environment, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. However, developer Quinn Estates contends that the proposals are “entirely suitable” and would provide “significant benefits to the surrounding area as a whole”. The council received a letter from the government only three hours before the meeting was set to commence, clarifying that Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, had ordered a local inquiry into the plan. The proposed development is divided into two sections. Up to 7,150 homes, a community space, a hotel, a new rubbish tip, and primary and secondary schools are planned for the larger site surrounding Sittingbourne. The smaller site, known as Teynham West, is intended to include up to 1,250 homes, comprising sheltered and extra care accommodation, a primary school, and the Bapchild section of a northern relief road – which is already part of the local plan. A spokesperson for Quinn Estates stated: “The proposals are entirely suitable for the site in terms of land use, amount of development, access, layout and appearance.” Nonetheless, the application has drawn more than 700 letters of objection. Carol Goatham, of Farm Fields & Fresh Air, commented: “Our sewage works are already struggling, we know that our GPs are already struggling.“This proposal joins up seven outlying villages on the edge of Sittingbourne between Sittingbourne and Teynham, and there’s a rural way of life here.” The housing secretary will render the final judgment on the plans and is expected to announce her decision by February.