00:00It spoils the countryside, definitely.
00:02This was just one of the reactions to plans for new homes to be built in Faversham and Mid-Kent.
00:08Known for being the oldest market town in Kent,
00:11with over 400 listed buildings and a 16th century Guildhall,
00:15Faversham and Mid-Kent is one of 18 constituencies across the county.
00:20And with this area holding less than 5% of the total population,
00:25it's been asked to take on over 20,000 new homes.
00:28Almost one in five of all of those homes planned for the entire county.
00:33MP Helen Whateley is saying that these new housing should be focused on areas that have the infrastructure
00:38and the jobs to support it,
00:40and the government should not prioritise building these housing in the countryside.
00:44But do the local residents agree?
00:46We live just off the A2 and the traffic there is just unbelievable now compared to when we first came.
00:52So yes, it has an impact on the roads.
00:56If they're going to build houses, and I don't actually agree with the building of houses,
01:00they need to put the infrastructure in as well, better roads.
01:02It will spoil the character of this place.
01:06It is a character that we've known for years.
01:10I do like to go out into the country, the other side, the Bising Woods side.
01:18But even going on the bike, you notice the increase in houses.
01:23Local MP Helen Whateley is concerned that the new homes would impact the scenery of her constituency,
01:29which is known for its proximity to rural areas, marshes and orchards.
01:34We live in a rural area.
01:35It's called the Garden of Kent.
01:36It produces a huge amount of food, particularly fruit, for the whole country.
01:41Now, concreting is over.
01:43You can't go back from that.
01:44This will completely change, transform, change the area, and also destroy all that agricultural land.
01:51Helen also claims that three different bodies have made the plans for her constituency,
01:56including Maidstone Council and Swale Council.
01:59A spokesperson from Maidstone Borough Council said
02:02all sites included in the adopted local plan have been assessed alongside infrastructure capacity.
02:08Any decision on housing numbers are driven by government policy, not by the council acting in isolation.
02:15But with the decision of the application due to be made by Swale Borough Council on 10 March,
02:21and with the government saying homes must be built,
02:23residents in this corner of the Garden of England question whether it may soon give way to concrete.
02:30Naila Mohamed for KMTV in Faversham.
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