A housing development so unpopular it sparked a street party when it was thrown out has now been given the go-ahead after the decision was overturned on appeal.
Gladman Developments has won its fight to build 250 homes on land off Ham Road, on the edge of Faversham – almost a year to the day after Swale Borough Council rejected the plans.
The government’s Planning Inspectorate has now overruled that decision, allowing the scheme to proceed despite fierce opposition from residents and local councillors.
Campaigners, who formed a group called Save Ham Farm, celebrated last June when the proposals were dismissed, organising a community street party to mark the occasion.
Placards bearing slogans like “wildlife not houses” and “keep Ham Farm green” were dotted around the town.
They had argued the scheme would damage wildlife habitats, destroy historic walking routes and worsen congestion and flooding in the area.
The initial application was rejected by Swale Borough Council on the grounds it could have led to flooding, and it failed to provide measures to mitigate its impact on local services.
But Gladman appealed the decision, and the Planning Inspectorate has now sided with the developer.
In its ruling, the government body acknowledged the scheme would cause “moderate harm to the intrinsic character, beauty and tranquillity of the countryside” but concluded that the need for housing outweighed the downsides.
“There is a shortfall in affordable homes in the borough and this is increasing,” it said.
“There would be short-term benefits to the economy from construction of the proposal. There would also be long-term benefits from expenditure in the local area by the future residents of the development.
“Overall, and particularly because of the importance and weight to be applied to the proposed housing, the adverse impacts of the proposal would not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of the proposal.”
The estate will include 162 private homes and 88 affordable properties.
It will neighbour the smaller 26-home Goldings development and sit opposite the larger Faversham Lakes site, where 400 homes are being built.
Cllr Hannah Perkin, who sits on both Swale Borough and Faversham Town councils, said she was “beyond gutted” by the decision and criticised the lack of weight given to the town’s newly adopted neighbourhood plan.
“Faversham people worked for five years to get our neighbourhood plan in place,” she said. “We built a solid plan that should have been taken seriously by the inspector, and it hasn’t been.
“It’s been a bleak day of trying to shape our communities and the planning system slapping us in the face.
“If Swale had got its local plan in place, things could have been very different. It all feels like pushing treacle uphill, and thousands of residents still don’t have the homes they deserve.”
Labour councillor Rob Crayford said the ruling raised serious doubts about the effectiveness of the neighbourhood plan.
“I’m really disappointed to see that after all the years of work and costs borne by local taxpayers, our town’s neighbourhood plan was unable to defend against the development on Ham Farm,” he said.
“We must challenge if the neighbourhood plan is as effective as we all thought it was going to be.”
Gladman said the development “provides a clear opportunity to make efficient use of greenfield land”.
The approval adds to a growing list of controversial proposals in and around Faversham, where thousands of homes are in the pipeline.
The town is already facing plans for 2,500 homes at Brenley Corner from the Duchy of Cornwall – a scheme that has been met with public protest – and 1,800 homes at Winterbourne Fields in Dunkirk, between Faversham and Canterbury.
Last year, Swale Borough Council suggested Faversham could shoulder the bulk of new housing across the district, prompting accusations the town was being “sacrificed” to meet government targets.
