Loss for campaigners as 220 homes near Whitstable approved

Some 220 homes on the outskirts of Whitstable have been approved by councillors

Transcript

00:00It's one of the best vantage points of Whitstable, but here at the top of the

00:04hill more than 200 homes are set to be built following a recent planning meeting.

00:09It's an absolutely stunning view from Baker's Top and like I said I don't

00:14think the people that voted here tonight have been there or if they have

00:19they just don't appreciate what they've just voted to destroy. Whitstable has

00:25been dumped on. In Kent there is a huge demand for new homes but in Whitstable

00:32there have already been many developments which have seen hundreds

00:35of homes added to the local area. This is greenfield land and it's incredibly

00:41controversial to build on. Something planning officers said they've considered

00:44at length. The need for housing in the district including the provision of affordable housing

00:49outweighs the harm to the landscape. Canterbury City Council's planning

00:56committee has been debating the developers plans to put 220 homes, a park

01:01and ride and highway improvements to the land south of Old Fannett Way.

01:06Harm to one person tilts one way, harm to another tilts the other way and I think

01:13that one is the problem when you get people who admire the views, who

01:19walk through these areas, who enjoy these areas, for them the tilt will

01:24always be in favour of keeping the landscape as it should be. The same

01:29application for homes in this field was originally approved two years ago when

01:33the council had to favour development after failing to demonstrate a five-year

01:38housing land supply. It was then lifted coming back to planning but now that

01:44phase is back and after the latest meeting the plans for the development

01:48have been discussed four times. We understand there are a lot of concerns

01:53about the site and a lot of concerns because we're making decisions when we're

01:57in presumption and it's not part of a local plan that's actually been passed.

02:01However I think the committee carefully considered all the options and came to a

02:07decision today so we finally have determined the application. It seems the

02:14development will go ahead. Local campaigners saying these crops will now

02:18make way for commuter homes, for developers saying they'll be amongst the

02:22most environmentally friendly in the area and potential new residents will

02:27benefit from a new bus route to the train station.

02:30Gabriel Morris in Whitstable