News
downsmail.co.uk 15,000 homes idea ‘ludicrous’
LOCAL residents have rubbished the idea to build a new garden city in south-east Maidstone. Chris Blundell’s Charthills Green proposal is said to be “theoretical”, but for locals even the suggestion of 15,000 new homes in this area is in- tolerable. Cllr Cheryl TaylorMaggio, chair-
man of Langley Parish Council, said: “The whole community has already met in 2013 and voiced their rejection to the Golding Homes building proposal for 5,000 ‘affordable’ homes on an unsus- tainable site, which would join the historic rural villages of Otham, Leeds and Langley to urban Maid- stone. “The county council also protested, as did the CPRE. Now this number has grown to 15,000, in theory of course, or so they say! “Relying on the building of a
parkway station (highly improba- ble within the next 20 years, given the cost) to build a massive social housing estate on Maidstone's valuable agricultural land shows this project in its true colours – a London dormitory for its overspill, with no inherent and organic growth for Maidstone. Away from the theory – there would be an ac- tual need for more public services
and infrastruc- ture which could not be funded alone by this de- velopment. “If this man
had won a prize for proposing a new community on an accessible, sustainable, brownfield site I would take my hat off to him. But he has proposed taking a beautiful, inhabited area of the Garden of England with jaw-dropping views and destroying its communities. “Maidstone borough has evolved
Chris Blundell
organically over the years. This proposal is the very antithesis of that culture and shows a disregard for communities within established settlements. Such concentrated de- velopment will affect the river catchment and groundwater sup- plies, not to mention our creaking sewerage system, roads, hospitals and emergency services. Frankly, the proposition is ludicrous." Eileen Riden, who lives in Sutton
Valence, said: “The compensation he talks about would cost more than the Leeds/Langley bypass. The 40,000 people from the ‘city’ will all come down the Sutton Road to visit Maidstone and when they
get to the Wheatsheaf junction will sit in the traffic and wonder who designed their city. I wonder how the Charthills Golf Club feel about this city named after them?” Annabelle Blackmore, leader of Maidstone Council, said: “The orig- inal proposal from Golding Homes was for 4,500 homes. Although there is some appetite nationally for garden homes developments, this proposal has not passed the relevant tests nor does it have wholesale approval. “The borough council rejected
the proposal because it is contrary to our strategy and there is no com- mitted road scheme.”
Garden city plan wins recognition Continued from page one
with services to London St Pancras taking 30 minutes. The settlement would include a secondary school, three primary schools, retail facilities, an enterprise hub, health centre and community centre. Mr Blundell writes: “The city will comprise three closely intercon- nected settlements, each sub-divided into a number of walkable suburbs of approximately 1,500 homes which will, wherever possible, be moulded
Ralph Steadman: A Retrospective
An exciting exhibition
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Saturday 6December 2014
to Saturday 28 February 2015 £3/£2 Concessions andMMFMembers
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Special Steadman Evening Thursday 29 January 2015 17:30 - 19:00
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to the original pattern of fields so that the tall shelter hedges can be re- tained. “A 20-year development period
would encourage the creation of a training academy for both modern construction and traditional craft skills and support a significantly higher level of self-build homes. “Land acquisition would where possible be by agreement, with compensation at a multiple of agri- cultural value, plus recovery of fixed costs of plant and equipment
on the land. “Garden cities will only come for-
ward if supported by local commu- nities. Support is best demonstrated by a local referendum of the whole of the community. “There would be a generous com- pensation scheme for affected resi- dents and businesses, including both monetary compensation for those most closely affected and a wider el- ement of compensation in the form of enhanced local amenities to bene- fit the wider local community.”
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