Stones Farm

VILLAGERS opposing plans for a massive housing development on farmland near Sittingbourne have gained high profile support.

The campaign to stop Stones Farm in Bapchild being used for housing reaches a crescendo on 30 November when the Swale Local Plan Inquiry Inspector hears from Bapchild Parish Council.

Steve Bessant, head of development services at Swale Borough Council recently stated that the council is "very much signed up to the brownfield site agenda and we would not have suggested Stones Farm as a development site unless all brownfield sites had been exhausted."

As protests grow at the Government's plans to build thousands of homes in the South-East, Sarah Lonsdale visits Bapchild, in Kent, where residents fear for the future of the English country life.

It is interesting to read the comment in toady’s Daily Telegraph article, from Steve Bessant Head of Development Services at Swale Borough Council which suggests that Swale is not seeking to disenfranchise the local community.

I have read so many comments from Swale Borough Councillors with regards to housing numbers and sites such as Stones Farm being forced on us by central government, that I feel compelled to displace this myth once and for all.

Quite simply we felt that to leave the signs up for too long would devalue their impact and would leave us with little opportunity to use the same idea at a future point in time.

As you will no doubt be aware an unprecedented number of people in the village responded to the consultation, which received a staggering 244 letters, that’s at least 50% of the village.

We have been successful in obtaining an opportunity to appear before the inspector of the current Local Plan Inquiry in respect of Stones Farm.

I am led to believe that Swale Borough Council have started the process of sending out letters regarding the recent consultation on Stones Farm.