COUNCIL ACT OVER MEADOW HOUSING PLAN 

More than seventy five residents squeezed into Swingfield Parish Council meeting on Tuesday (29 November) to hear the debate over  plans for 98 new homes on Black Horse Meadow in Densole.

Cllr Colin Tearle chaired the planning application section of the meeting and less than impressed councillors who were unanimously against the development have sent their views to Shepway District Council.

These included:

• The plans are contrary to the current local plan
• The land is 'an area of outstanding natural beauty'
• Increase in traffic
• Access to the proposed development is on a dangerous bend
• Sewage disposal problems
• Local fears of creeping urbanisation
• Lack of infrastructure

Residents have reported that the individual building plots on Black Horse Meadow are on sale on the internet (click here) .

To try to stop the sale of individual plots as advertised on the website, Swingfield Parish Council have requested that Shepway District Council use their powers to issue a Section 4 directive. This would remove permitted development rights to the field.

Many villagers had long hoped that the land would have been used as a childrens play area  and recreation ground but the Densole Playing Field Association failed to buy the land when it came up for auction in July 2000.

It was sold for £38,000.