Lynsted with Kingsdown Parish Council has published its third report on the proposed Highsted Park/West of Teynham developments. Having already submitted an air quality report and transport assessment, this latest document is a general planning overview. We worked in conjunction with Teynham, Tonge and Doddington Parish Councils in order to pool resources and to keep down the costs of engaging professional advisers.
The impacts of these two developments will be felt by residents of the parishes for decades to come. The potential environmental, ecological and historical losses; impacts on our roads and infrastructure; and general impact on our health and wellbeing is of great concern.
NPPF Para 73 recognises that the supply of large numbers of new homes can often be best achieved through planning for larger scale development, such as new settlements or significant extensions to existing villages and towns, provided they are well located and designed, and supported by the necessary infrastructure and facilities. In this case the combined Highsted Park and West of Teynham applications offer development which is not well located and requires significant transport infrastructure to support it.
The impacts of introducing this infrastructure are considerable and there is overriding uncertainty as to whether those impacts can be satisfactorily and acceptably mitigated. The existing road infrastructure particularly around the A2 is not capable of accommodating the 1,250 homes and additional commercial, community and recreational development proposed in 21/503906/EIOUT - nor the 7,150 homes with commercial and community uses in 21/503914/EIOUT. We are very concerned to see that by the applicant’s own admission the proposals for land West of Teynham, in isolation, will certainly increase traffic using the A2, adding to existing traffic congestion and poor Air Quality.
Neither application accords fully with the adopted Development Plan, and we contend there are no material considerations of sufficient magnitude as to outweigh the actual and policy harm caused by the proposals.
Lynsted with Kingsdown, Teynham, Tonge and Doddington Parish Councils strongly urge Swale Borough Council to refuse both applications.
You can read the planning report HERE