The Parish Council has lodged an objection to the "Reserved Matters" application for 10 houses to be built on land to the east of Lynsted Lane. This proposal, despite being refused by Swale Borough Council, was approved following an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate - which established the principle of these houses being built.
However, the Parish Council has some important concerns regarding the detailed application.
You can read our objection letter HERE
Teynham & Highsted Community Action has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to fight the Highsted Park planning application. This development, if approved, would see 8,400 new houses built between Faversham and Sittingbourne - causing harm to heritage assets, habitats, conservation areas and ancient woodland.
It would also exert excessive strain on infrastructure - such as highways, healthcare, education, water supply and drainage.
The Action Group is a consortium of parish councils including Doddington, Newnham, Teynham, Lynsted with Kingsdown and Tonge. We have instructed a planning barrister and specialist consultants to represent our local community at the forthcoming Public Inquiry.
As parish councils, our financial resources are limited – which is why we need your help to fund legal and professional fees.
Please donate whatever you can. The bank account is administered on behalf of the Action Group by Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council
The Teynham & Highsted Community Action Group has formally issued its statement of case on the Highsted Park development to the planning inspector.
This document outlines the Action Group’s principal arguments and supporting evidence opposing the proposal for 8,400 new houses.
We need to raise £40,000 to fund the cost of a planning barrister and expert consultants to represent us in the forthcoming Public Inquiry - at which we have been granted ‘Rule 6’ status, making us a main party to the proceedings.
If you would like to support our campaign, please send a donation - however small or large - to:
Account name: LKPC Fighting Fund
Sort code: 30-18-06
Account no: 35374768
The Action Group is a consortium of five local parish councils: Lynsted with Kingsdown, Teynham, Doddington, Tonge and Newnham. The above bank account is managed by Lynsted with Kingsdown PC on behalf of the group.
The Public Inquiry commences on 11 March and is scheduled to run for 47 days.
You can read the statement of case HERE
Parish Councillor, Alistair Stewart, made a presentation to Swale Council's planning committee regarding drinking and waste water constraints at the proposed Highsted Park development. He argued that it would be unwise to proceed where existing and future infrastructure and resources will not be available. You can read his comments HERE
At a meeting last week of Swale Council's planning committee, the chairman of Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council presented reasons to object to the Highsted Park application to build, in total, 8400 new houses - including 1250 on land in Teynham.
If it seems brief, the speech was limited under Council rules to three minutes. READ THE SPEECH HERE
The committee voted UNANIMOUSLY to support the officer’s recommendation to refuse both applications.
However, just three hours before the planning committee meeting was due to start, Swale Council received an email from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. This email informed the Council that, instead of being determined by the local planning authority, the two Highsted Park applications would be decided by the Secretary of State. This meant that the Council was directed, by law, to make no decisions.
An inspector from the Planning Inspectorate will now be appointed to carry out a public inquiry. They will then prepare a report, including a recommendation to approve or refuse, for the Secretary of State - who is under no obligation to follow the inspector’s advice.
Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council has secured a grant of nearly £9,000 to convert all its streetlights to LED. We own and maintain 41 streetlights within the parish for the safety of pedestrians on highways and footpaths. The cost of electricity and maintenance of these lights currently accounts for nearly 50% of the parish council’s entire annual budget.
Using funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, via Swale Borough Council, the grant is towards supporting activity that improves the environmental and financial sustainability of community amenities through carbon reduction measures.
Cllr Julien Speed, chairman of the Parish Council, comments:
"Conversion to LED will result in an estimated 80% reduction in energy consumption and carbon emissions. These new lights will be kinder to the environment and will reduce energy costs, which are ultimately funded by the local community via the parish precept levied on all householders.
“The new lights will also reduce light pollution, as the beam will be directed straight down to the footpaths as opposed to shining laterally.
"Lighting levels that are higher than necessary, and light that shines when and where it’s not needed, is wasteful - with economic and environmental consequences.
“Artificial light at night can negatively affect human health - increasing risks for depression, sleep disorders and other ailments. So all lights will also be on a timer, meaning they’re only illuminated when needed.
“This is a great cost and carbon saving for the community”.
It is understood that we are the first parish council to apply to the Rural England scheme for carbon reduction funding for streetlights.
Work to convert the streetlights to LED has already started.
Helen Whately, Member of Parliament for Faversham & Mid Kent, has written to every member of Swale Council's planning committee expressing serious concerns about the Highsted Park housing application. You can read her letter HERE
The addendum to our transport review can be read HERE