Save Ditton Community from over development

Preserve the landscape for our community

The East Malling Trust plans to build 1300 homes on prime agricultural greenfield land.

This will eliminate historic restricted byways, footpaths, bridleways and the only remaining green space between Maidstone and Ditton.

To facilitate this development they want to create an unsuitable alternate to the A20 from Maidstone through Ditton and East Malling pushing traffic through unsuitable village road infrastructure and blighting our communities

Have your say?

The planning application is now live TM 24/00372/PA, ensure you have your say by the 3rd of May at: https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/tmbc/application-details/157486

Ditton Parish Council held a public meeting on the 15th April 2024 in order to inform the public of the planning submission and obtain gather information for their planning submission to TMBC. At the meeting they provided a draft copy of their response, which they are going to upload to their website at:

https://www.dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk/community/ditton-parish-council-15073/home/

Ditton Parish Councils response to the application is recorded here and if required it can be used to form the basis of your own response:

https://www.dittonparishcouncil.gov.uk/shared/attachments.asp?f=c94e9eea%2Da152%2D4205%2Dac03%2D3ea148e7a25e%2Epdf&o=DPC%2DPlanning%2DObjections%2D24%2D00372%2DPA%2Epdf

Do we need more housing?

Unfortunately, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC) does not have a local plan. The absence of a local plan allows opportunistic landowners to submit development proposals as part of the council’s “Call for sites” **to propose land that is not part of the greenbelt. **If the landowner can meet TMBC list of requirements a site is very likely to be granted automatic planning approval despite 1000’s of local objections and many of the recent approved sites have been pushed through due to the lack of a local plan.

Sadly, South Aylesford, Ditton, East Malling and the area around Hermitage Lane in Maidstone has been adversely targeted by TMBC for new housing due to the lack of available land elsewhere in the borough. The proposal at Bradbourne is part of a plan to add a minimum of 3900 new homes to the east and west of Hermitage Lane (B2246), as there are another 2500 homes approved or planned for Maidstone between the Poppy Fields roundabout, Hermitage Lane and Barming Station.

These developments will eliminate the only greenfield space to the west of Maidstone, in an area that is very popular with walkers, horse riders, cyclists and all those that enjoy the countryside.

Maidstone Borough Council have stated that the proposed site does not comply with their local plan. The statement from their local plan on the area west of Hermitage Lane reads as follows:

At this location the council is keen to retain the separation between the edges of Barming and Allington and the edge of the Medway Gap settlements in Tonbridge and Malling Borough i.e. Aylesford, Ditton and Larkfield. To the north, long range landscape views that would be affected by developing these sites has been considered by the Planning Inspectorate, which concluded that it was acceptable to develop at East of Hermitage Lane.

What is being proposed?

1300 new homes.
New local centre including a park, primary school and community facilities.
New primary school, which would be two-form entry, supporting families living at Bradbourne.
New Link road located between Hermitage Lane and Kiln Barn Road, with a “Sustainable Transport Corridor” that continues through to New Road East Malling.

To view the East Malling Trust proposals visit https://bradbourne.info. Where you will find a lot of vague marketing information. Much of the information is misleading and is contrary to the initial TMBC call to sites assessment. The proposals include many Strategy documents, but no commitments to ensuring they are funded, in fact they place the onus on KCC to adequately fund these sustainable proposals.

Who benefits?

It would seem that the only organisations that will benefit from this are:

The East Malling Trust (EMT)
TMBC’s housing target of 16000, currently over 30000 houses are present in section 18 submissions with a third of the submissions within a 5 miles radius of East Malling.

East Malling Trust appear to be taking advantage of the lack of a TMBC local plan and are using this opportunity to drive through a deeply flawed proposal. It is unclear why East Malling Trust need to generate this income. it does not appear that it will benefit the local community or that it will substantially support sustainable research as they profess on their Bradbourne site. In February 2016 EMT disposed of the East Malling Research Facility (EMR) to NIAB. At that point NIAB EMR was established as a wholly owned subsidiary of NIAB and continues to operate independently from EMT from its existing site at East Malling in Kent.

The sale by EMT of 2 parcels of land for the development of 400 new homes generated an income for EMT of over £20m. From these proceeds the trust granted just £1m to NIAB EMR for strategic and applied horticultural research along with a contribution to the redevelopment of the NIAB EMR facility. However, the value of their contribution is unclear as available documentation shows a joint contribution by both EMT and NIAB EMR of £3.359m.

The sale of the Bradbourne land will likely generate over £70m for EMT. Whilst EMT state they will be providing research grants for the community that they are a member of, there does not appear to be any such provision.

Have Your Say and have an Impact

As individuals we all have our own unique perspectives on developments in our community. If you want to object to this development we will aim to provide you best guidance we can. If you need we have a sample letter of objection for you to personalise.

PROPOSED ROAD, INCREASED TRAFFIC and Accidents

To effect the development at Bradbourne a new road is proposed to link Hermitage lane through to Ditton and East Malling bringing with it 1000’s of journeys onto infrastructure not designed…….

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LOSS OF PRIME AGRICULTURAL LAND

The site is greenfield land and contains a significant proportion (>=25%) of Grade 1 and/or 2 agricultural land. The land at Bradbourne has been used for the growing crops and fruit for hundreds of years and for the last 80 years has been used for researching fruit and developing new crops…….

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FLOOD PLAIN RISK & WATER TABLE

The site is either entirely or significantly (i.e. >=25%) within Flood Zone 3 and/or within an area with a 1 in 30 year risk of surface water flooding.
The site does not contain a water body or watercourse but falls within or partially within Source Protection Zones 2 and 3.

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PUBLIC RIGHTS of WAY

The site contains existing green infrastructure assets that could be lost as a result of any new development, including Restricted Byways and Bridleways with vegetation clearances. Several areas have Tree Preservation Orders (TPO’s).

There’s nothing like a nice walk or ride in the countryside along your favourite path.
But what happens when that route is blocked, closed or even moved?

The public rights through bradbourne include: