Local Plan Review – Call for Sites – Bearsted Parish Council

Following Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC) Call for Sites exercise, 6 sites in Bearsted have been offered as potential sites for development within the Parish. All suggestions are subject to normal planning processes and permission processes and are part of the MBC Local Plan Review Process.

The sites offered up are:

Site 088 – land south of the Ashford Road – proposal for 7 bungalows with access between 174b and 176 Ashford Road

Site 129 – land to the rear of 164 Ashford Road – proposal for 45-55 houses with access from the driveway to 164 Ashford Road

Site 135 – land south of the Ashford Road – proposal 20-40 houses with access from driveway to 164 Ashford Road.

Site 160 – Ware Street – proposal for 20 houses with access from Ware Street (opposite Sandy Mount)

Site 240 – Banky Meadow – proposal for 70 houses with access from Ashford Road.

Site 297 – Bearsted Library – proposal for 6 houses with access from The Street.

The planning committee of Bearsted Parish Council(BPC) have considered each of the sites and have agreed valid objections to all of them. These objections will be put forward to Maidstone Borough Council, where BPC hope to clarify which sites in the borough are likely to be put forward into the MBC Local Plan.

Working with the Joint Parishes Group and The Bearsted and Thurnham Society, BPC are also looking at sites put forward outside of the Parish, which could have significant impact on our residents. The borough map can be found via the following link: Borough map.

Sites proposed to the immediate south of the Parish, in Otham, total a further possible 300 homes. To the East of the Parish at Ashford Road, Hollingbourne there is potential for approx 650 houses plus commercial development and in Thurnham another possible 200 homes.

Large sites have been put forward in Lenham (approx 7000 houses), Leeds, Langley, Warmlake and Kingswood (approx 6900) and Detling (between 1750 and 4000 dwellings).

The vehicle movements associated with this level of development will only exacerbate the congestion and poor air quality experienced by an already stressed road infrastructure. BPC plan to put objections forward to Maidstone Borough Council before Christmas.

Any parishioner who wishes to register comment is encouraged to do so via the Maidstone Borough Council planning portal. BPC will continue to strive to protect the very few and very valuable green sites remaining within the Parish.