“This proposal would harm the character, function and appearance of the countryside, would harm that Area of Local Landscape Importance, (would have) unacceptable impact on the setting of the country park and would also be unacceptable in terms of its impact and viability of the rural footpath network.”
These words could be written by Medway about the Hoo Peninsula but Medway Conservatives are whipped so much they won’t even discuss the possibility. The Peninsula should and could be an ANOB.
This opening statement was written in objection to an appeal application for 800 houses around the Capstone Valley. 800 houses not the 10,600 planned for the Peninsula.
Medway’s favourite son Charles Dickens wrote “a Tale of Two Cites” but Medway has now become a Council of two sides of the River, The South side protected at all costs against development and the North side a national and internationally protected area with the most exceptional landscapes where the drive to develop fields of agricultural crops into fields of brick and tarmac is unrelenting.
Medway Council’s HIF project “Unlocking Medway’s Future” includes:
- A rail service that many rail consultants describe as not feasible and cannot take seriously.
- A spur road that will cut a swathe through Deangate Ridge for no other reason than to open up an area which is considered Medway’s best country park we don’t have.
- A flyover that will blight the homes and lives of hundreds of families in Wainscott.
- A development of 180 houses beside one of the busiest roundabouts in Medway at Frindsbury along with the remodelling of a Grade one listed barn.
- The proposed closure of a village school in Stoke despite parents wishes for this community school to remain open.
I wonder if “ Unlocking Medway’s Future “ actually means sacrificing Frinsbury, Wainscott and the Hoo Peninsula when in another statement made to the planning committee explained how despite the needs of the council to meet its housing targets, officers had concerns about the density of homes on the site, disruption of the views from Darland Banks, and the potential impact of the development on the residents living on the northern edge of the site.
800 houses in Capstone and a worry about density, 10,600 houses in Hoo and a decision being railroaded through.
It’s our choice so make your voice heard email your MP your Ward councillors and the leaders of Medway Council. They need to hear your opinion!
I believe that the Master planning and creation of local communities should be with the co-operation of the people living there so can invest and engage in the very neighbourhoods they live in.
This is a disgraceful article! We are all people of Kent regardless of where we live within its bounds and the whole county is in danger of being over developed and losing its character. We need to work together to make our voices heard, not cause division. It is the only way we can achieve any success. Yes, the peninsula is a lovely area but so are many other places in the area and they all need protection! For goodness sake, and the sake of future generations, work together.
I cannot believe that you are trying to cause a division in Medway! This is not a time to divide but to unite against the building that is planned to decimate our green spaces. I live in Hempstead and they have put forward plans to build 5 000 plus houses on fields to the rear of my house and through a beautiful valley.and trust me when I say I am not a “country club” type of person. I grew up in Wainscott and have been fighting hard to keep the Hoo peninsula house free.
Hempstead, Rainham Lordswood area has already been decimated. We already have a much higher housing density than on the peninsula.
You should not be dividing but uniting and telling Kent councils that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Kent can’t take much more.
This is a county disaster and making north south divides just plays into their hands.
We must FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTY , IS IT TO BE THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND OR THE BACK YARD???
I cannot believe that you are trying to cause a division in Medway! This is not a time to divide but to unite against the building that is planned to decimate our green spaces. I live in Hempstead and they have put forward plans to build 5 000 plus houses on fields to the rear of my house and through a beautiful valley.and trust me when I say I am not a “country club” type of person. I grew up in Wainscott and have been fighting hard to keep the Hoo peninsula house free.
Hempstead, Rainham Lordswood area has already been decimated. We already have a much higher housing density than on the peninsula.
You should not be dividing but uniting and telling Kent councils that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. Kent can’t take much more.
This is a county disaster and making north south divides just plays into their hands.
We must FIGHT FOR OUR COUNTY , IS IT TO BE THE GARDEN OF ENGLAND OR THE BACK YARD???
Ron is absolutely right. The people of The Peninsula need to rise up against Medway Council and put a stop to this grotesque plan they call the HIF Infrastructure Fund – New Routes to Good Growth.
The Cockham Wood Parkland is a ruse to placate the residents of Hoo and Chattenden into thinking MC are providing a wonderful park when, in fact, we always had a perfectly great park at Deangate Ridge which MC have leased to Norse! MC will also allow planning permission for new homes adjacent to the Cockham Wood Park which would join up the villages of Hoo and Chattenden into their vision of an ‘urban town’ – horrendous!
The new roadway proposed would destroy parts of Deangate Ridge, the agricultural fields and village of Chattenden, the rural area of Woodfield Way and ‘shoehorn’ a new road down Illingham Farm Road with a new flyover destroying the village of Wainscott! It gets better….
The new proposed station at Sharnal Street will be a white elephant adding more destruction to our beautiful countryside and increasing further the traffic congestion and pollution.
Just to add to all the destruction of the Peninsula so far, a further 12,000 new homes are to be built. This is not far short of the biggest land grab to this wonderful corner of Kent. It must be stopped at all costs!!
I totally agree with everything Ron has said, leave our
Villages alone , if you want more houses do it over the side that’s got more land now …..leave our natural little bit of countryside alone !!!!
We have no parks here without deangate . This area has lost many shops and sports facilities, roads are to busy already ,dr’s overworked ,schools full a rail system that will probably be a white elephant. . We have no capacity for more house the land should be used as farm land and for leisure for those living locally
I was born and have lived in parts of London for 70 years, 30 years ago moved to Bexley , Kent for more green space & fresher air. Over those 30 years more housing & industrial buildings & roads were built over those green spaces, turned it into part of London which I couldn’t love anymore. A year ago I decided to move further out to the Peninsular, which I love. Medway council are determined to build 12000 houses, carve up the remaining countryside, fields and woods, to ruin the lives of people living and working in villages happily bringing up a generation of children who appreciate the green spaces and fresh air.
We are already surrounded by fast flowing traffic along dual carriageways and huge roundabouts but Medway Council want more, slip roads and flyovers, not needed but they’re determined to build them. I love walking, there are still green spaces with wildlife to enjoy, but for how much longer if MC get their way. We need help. Please help us
Stop building on our countryside
Ron, Your right Medway Council is all about making space for new housing and to ensure developers keep their 25% profit. The government does not care about Hoo residents and looking forward to selling more new homes to Conservative voters so the Peninsula objection voice can be silenced when looking over concreted green valuable fields and countryside.
Schools Doctors surgeries Dentists and Shops need to be considered before new housing are built.
Ron Sands is a more eloquent man, with words than myself, I personally would say that we (the residents of the Hoo Peninsula) are being shafted by the Country Club types of the Capstone Valley, to keep their area as a pristine rural area, and the Peninsula as the industrial, traffic congested, poor air quality area of Medway. We need to get the Local MPs working for us, to keep the status quo between building and keeping the countryside for the people for the people of Medway and the Peninsula.
You raise some very real and important concerns Ron. There needs to be genuine consultation and a sustainable plan for housing.