Maidstone: Land has case for protection, say campaigners

Campaigners fighting to save a stretch of land in Kent from developers say there is a case for it to have protected village green status.

Outline planning permission has been granted for 435 houses at Bunyards Farm in Allington, near Maidstone.

Medway Ecological Riverline Link (MERlin) have submitted 800 pages of documents ahead of an upcoming inquiry.

The Andrew Cheale Will Trust, who own the land, disagree and say it has been fenced off for 20 years.

MERlin argue the land has been in common use by dog-walkers and berry pickers for decades, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Other witnesses say they believe the land to be common land with no barriers or signs visible to suggest it is privately owned farmland.

The group is fundraising to support its legal challenge at the inquiry, which could reach up to £11,000.

Protected village green status would give the land protection from development.

Duncan Edwards from MERlin said: "Whilst the team have put in hundreds of hours of work, a positive outcome is far from certain, and we urgently need your financial support to ensure that we can get the very best legal advice possible."

The plans were put forward by BDW Trading and around 40% of the new homes would be classed as "affordable".

Fellow campaigner Chris Passmore described the land, which is believed to be the last stretch of green space between Aylesford and Allington, as "critical to all our wellbeing".

A four-day public inquiry is set to be heard at Kent County Council's (KCC) County Hall in March.

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