Villagers oppose 2,000-home 'rural settlement'

Controversial plans for a “rural settlement” on the outskirts of Canterbury have been criticised by villagers.

Land owned by the University of Kent has been earmarked for a development of up to 2,000 houses.

Canterbury City Council's new draft local plan proposes building the estate on a site between the villages of Tyler Hill, Blean and Rough Common.

Tyler Hill resident John Reilly said: “It’s going to be an urban settlement, not a rural settlement.”

The cash-strapped university put forward the land for potential development after announcing cuts to courses and jobs.

The local plan proposes a “highly sustainable, freestanding settlement” of new homes, as well as a new primary school and a replacement for the existing Blean Primary School.

The authority says it wants to create a “complete, compact and well-connected neighbourhood, where everyday needs can be met within a 15-minute walk or short cycle”.

The plan's proposals sparked a fierce backlash, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

About 60 residents attended a Hackington Parish Council meeting at the Tyler Hill Memorial Hall.

Parish council chair Ania Bobrowicz said: “To say that we are dismayed by these plans is probably an understatement.”

Mr Reilly, who has lived in Tyler Hill for more than 50 years, said he was "very distressed" by the plans.

He said: “The impact of such a large community alongside two quite small villages will be quite damaging to the environment.”

The draft local plan has been put out to public consultation until 3 June.

The council will then revisit some of the proposals after the feedback and put out another consultation before presenting it to the government’s Planning Inspectorate by the end of June 2025.

The University of Kent said Canterbury faced a "critical need" for more housing stock.

A spokesman said: "This allocation would help the city council to address this, freeing up land on our estate to the wider benefit of the local community, while enabling the university to generate funding for further investment in its core educational offer."

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