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Broad Oak: Home ruined by monstrous new builds, couple say

BBC Mr and Mrs King standing in their garden with the new builds behind themBBC
Maureen and Dave King moved into their dream home in Broad Oak about nine years ago

A retired couple have said living in their dream home has been ruined by a "monstrosity" of a development towering over their back garden.

Maureen and Dave King said their objections to the homes in Broad Oak near Canterbury "fell on deaf ears".

Canterbury City Council has insisted the development went though the "proper planning process" before approval.

Barratt Homes said the plans were assessed as having "no adverse impact" on existing residents.

As first reported in Kent Online, Mr and Mrs King said they moved into their home about nine years ago and have spent thousands of pounds improving it.

A view of the new builds from inside Mr and Mrs King's house
The Kings said they had no privacy left at all with all the windows overlooking them

Mr King told BBC South East: "I've gutted the place. We've worked really hard on it. It was our dream home.

"It had nature, the quietness, but now it's all been taken away."

Mrs King said: "It's just a monstrosity. There is really no privacy left for us at all. It's just the worst thing that has ever happened to us."

'Extensive' consultation

The development was narrowly approved by Canterbury City Council's planning committee in 2021.

Mrs King said: "We went to all the meetings. We sent loads of objections to Canterbury Council planning and no, we didn't expect [the houses] to be as close as this or as tall as this."

The authority said in a statement: "The application for this development went through the proper planning process and that includes people living nearby having the chance to have their say before being decided by our Planning Committee."

A view of the new builds from Mr and Mrs King's garden
Barratt Home said the development was assessed as having no adverse impact on existing residents

A spokesperson for Barratt Homes said plans for The Woodlands development were approved by the council following an "extensive" consultation process.

It added: "The new homes that are being built adjacent to existing properties are off-set by more than 28m and were assessed in the planning process to have no adverse impact on existing residents."

It said if any resident had concerns they should get in touch and it would do whatever it could to help.

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