Campaigners fears over proposed development near Snodland

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Transcript

00:00Until a few years ago, golfers teed off here. Now the land faces a different game altogether.

00:06Developers seeking planning permission to build homes, sport pitches and a clubhouse.

00:12If approved, they'll have to flatten these artificial heels.

00:15Some of the site was once used for waste disposal.

00:19Environmental reports say a nearby landfill infringed waste rules and was closed in 2016.

00:26Campaigners are worried about what could happen if rubble is disturbed.

00:30So we don't really know the full extent of what's been dumped here.

00:33Much of it was unlicensed and therefore the paper trail is very hard to pin down in most cases.

00:41There is no paper trail.

00:42But we know for a fact that lead has been found here.

00:45We know for a fact that asbestos has been found here.

00:47And when you start unearthing that kind of thing, you're releasing into the atmosphere all kinds of particulates

00:55and contaminants.

00:56The Environment Agency has confirmed that asbestos was removed from the site in 2006.

01:03And soil samples and watercourse analysis shows no evidence of contamination.

01:09I'm here in the Oast Park Brook.

01:11And you can see it's an unusual browny-orange colour.

01:14And there seems to be an oily substance on the surface.

01:18Now, in the Development Environmental Assessment, it says that existing contamination could mobilise

01:26and end up in this stream if proper mitigation isn't in place.

01:31The report says the risk is low, but campaigners are still concerned.

01:36So, most of the site has been rewilded.

01:39So, nature has covered up the sins of the landfill.

01:44But I feel that once this starts getting dug up, even if it gets piled,

01:50that everything is going to get concentrated.

01:53And we're going to have contamination in a beautiful Greenbelt area.

01:58Developers have moved to reassure locals that contamination poses no risk.

02:02In a statement, they say thorough investigation work, surveys and reports prepared as part of

02:09the current planning application provides evidence that it is factually incorrect to suggest

02:14potential groundwater contamination as a result of the development.

02:19They go on to say the Environment Agency has confirmed its acceptance of the findings

02:23and suggested various conditions to ensure ongoing testing through the construction phases.

02:30It will now be up to the local council.

02:31A decision expected later this year.

02:35Gabriel Morris, near Snodland.