Plans have been lodged to redevelop a long-established campsite in a village, which residents complain has already “doubled in size”.
New housing in the area around St Nicholas-at-Wade is one of the chief concerns regarding the latest scheme, which could see another 13 homes built.
It is being proposed for the St Nicholas Camping site in Court Road in the village on the edge of the Isle of Thanet, after the owner revealed he is retiring.
But the village already has two new housing estates and three more residential schemes recently approved or currently being built, which will result in a further 82 extra homes.
The developer of the campsite, Cantium Land and Development Ltd, says its proposal is for “high quality, low density” housing and concerns raised about drainage and wildlife protection will be met.
It says its pre-application consultation only resulted in one email from a resident concerned about the number of new houses and those remaining unsold.
Similar concerns are also raised on the planning application portal from resident Ian Meadon, who also highlights an existing problem with drainage.
“Whilst appreciating why the present owner does not wish to continue running the campsite, I do not see why the next step is more development on green fields,” he says.
“We already have 13 unsold new houses on the Manor Road site and since the village doubled in size, I have had to call out Southern Water on six occasions to unblock the main sewer serving my property in The Street.
“Also, within the last few weeks, there have been blockages and overflow of sewage in the Manor Road/Sandlewood Drive area. It would therefore seem that the sewers cannot cope with the present load.
“It would also encourage more ‘infilling’ along the whole length of Court Road and the further destruction of the rural environment.”
The proposed scheme comprises one two-bedroom, five three-bedroom, four four-bedroom and three five-bedroom homes, of which 30% would be ‘affordable’.
Kent Highways believes the scheme should include 80 metres of new footpath to ensure pedestrian safety to and from the site.
Cantium says tree and shrub planting will address biodiversity concerns.
The parish council has debated the proposal and has been contacted for comment.
But in pre-application consultations with the applicant, councillors expressed concerns about the scale of housing in the village and drainage and traffic safety issues.
