News |Woodcut Farm Farm earmarked for business use
MAIDSTONE Council still be- lieves land at Woodcut Farm is suitable for office and commercial use – despite residents doing everything within their powers to prevent it. The council’s strategic planning committee has designated land at Woodcut Farm for mixed employ- ment in its upcoming local plan – although this still has to go out for public consultation. The land is part of the site of the
Kent International Gateway freight proposal, refused on appeal in 2010. A report to the committee states: “There is a unique opportunity in the borough to provide a presti-
gious business park at Junction 8 of the M20 that is connected to the motorway network and that can provide for a range of job needs up to 2031.” Bearsted Cllr Val Springett said
the decision would make the coun- cil a laughing stock, having fought off Kig and, more recently, two ap- plications to develop land south of the A20 atWaterside Park. She said: “You cannot mitigate
development on this site in any way whatsoever. You cannot hide any development from the North Downs – it will be visible for miles.” Planning chief Rob Jarman said
he believed it was possible to min- imise the disturbance to the topog- raphy and exercise strict control over any permitted development, insisting on enhancements to both the landscape and the biodiversity of the A20 corridor. He said that although planning inspectors had refused to allow Kig and Waterside Park, they had not vetoed all types of development. Council leader Fran Wilson felt Woodcut Farm was the “lesser of two evils” as it did not involve cut- ting deep into the landscape, as did the proposals forWaterside Park. She said: “This is another of the awful decisionswe have to make.”
Woodcut Farm now joins a site at
Mote Road in Maidstone, Barradale Farm in Headcorn and two in Pat- tenden Lane, Marden, as sites “suit- able and available” for future economic development. The committee heard that Eclipse
Park was already “accounted for” and there had been no proposals put forward for Detling Airfield. Cllr Springett stressed that devel-
opers must be prevented from buy- ing up private land in the area to give them ease of access to the site and itwas crucial developmentwas not allowed to “creep” to the west, towards Bearsted and the land whichwas now on the market.
Residents pledge cash to buy development land Continued from page one
end of the former Kig site and form a sizeable green belt between resi- dential development in Bearsted and the M20. The new Kig – Keep It Green – to-
gether with the Bearsted Woodland Trust and Bearsted and Thurnham Society were hopeful enough pledges would enable them to put in a bid prior to the closing date of August 28. If the bid is successful, the team
will launch a full-scale appeal for donations – both large and small – as well as making approaches for grants and organising fund-raising events. Mary Richards, from the Bearsted and Thurnham Society, said: “I would urge and encourage as many people as possible to take part, however small. Fighting Kig was a real community effort and this could be similar.” Richard Ashness, feasibility
study co-ordinator for the Bearsted proposal, said: “It is a tribute to our sense of community that so many people are prepared to be so gener- ous.” The parish council has agreed in principle to give £80,000 from its land and buildings fund towards the purchase, if residents are will- ing to stump up the remainder. Half would be met during the cur- rent financial year and the remain- der in April 2016.
Cash reserves WHILE agreeing to pledge £80,000 towards the appeal, Bearsted Parish Council agreed to retain some funds in case other land in the village was to come on the market. Within hours of its August meet-
ing, land at Banky Meadow and Fauchons Lane was advertised for sale with a guide price of £80,000.
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