In my submission to Maidstone Borough Council’s Local Plan consultation, I stressed the need to strike a balance between protecting the countryside and providing the new homes people need.
I’ve told the Council we also need a plan for infrastructure not just a plan for new housing in the borough.
People feel strongly about housing, and rightly so. Housing developments can change the look and feel of a community, so it’s vital local residents have a say on what development goes where.
We’ve got to step up to the challenge of giving the next generation the chance to own their own home, but there’s a balance that needs to be struck.
The Council’s current plans risk decimating much loved green spaces in our borough – green gaps that give communities their identity and act as the lungs for our towns and villages.
I’ve got serious concerns about the proposed developments at Lenham Heath and Lidsing, which are strongly opposed by local residents.
I met the Housing Secretary earlier this year to raise people’s concerns about the volume of development in Kent. I’m pleased Robert Jenrick has said he wants to see a focus on brownfield development, and I hope Maidstone follows suit.
