Councillor backs campaign to block housing scheme

A newly-elected county councillor has publicly backed opponents of one of the biggest proposed house building schemes in Kent.

Plans for 5,000 new homes on Lenham Heath were approved by Maidstone Borough Council last year, when it was run by the Conservatives.

Now the new Reform UK councillor for the area, Sarah Emberson, has spoken in support of the pressure group Save Our Heath Lands (SOHL) that is campaigning against the development.

The government has pledged to build 1.5m homes across the UK and relax planning laws in an attempt to tackle the housing crisis.

Renting or buying a home is a struggle for many in Kent and there is a shortage of affordable housing in parts of the county.

The Heath Lands development is set to be built in stages, but would also include local amenities, schooling and a railway station.

There are questions over how the rail station will be funded, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Emberson, who lives in nearby Ashford, said: "I want to protect the countryside. I brought up my family here because I wanted them to enjoy green spaces and the quality of life.

She said she wanted to preserve the "county way of life... like a lot of people do."

"We're only guardians of the countryside. This not our land – but when it's gone it's gone."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.