00:00It's not your average Swale Borough Council meeting when the public gallery is so packed.
00:05But this isn't your average development.
00:08Up to 2,500 homes could be built in Bobbing just outside of Sittingbourne
00:14and five town parish councils came armed with objections.
00:18Steve Tollers from Eyewade Parish Council brought forward the potential environmental concerns
00:24such a large estate might bring.
00:27While Mike Brown, representing East Church Parish Council, stressed that existing infrastructure like roads
00:34might not be able to cope with thousands more people using them.
00:38But ultimately the final decision was pushed back as more people voted against the proposals than for them.
00:45But as so many houses still need to be built to meet the government's targets as well as to meet
00:52shortfall,
00:53I wanted to see this land for myself and see why it was so precious.
00:58This proposal will all feed through mostly onto a single road junction that will have a lot of knock-on
01:05effects.
01:06There were also concerns about water supplies.
01:10Again, potential knock-on effects to Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
01:14School places, secondary school places, there's already problems with people getting places for their children in this area.
01:26This will bring additional load.
01:29There's a lot of issues.
01:32The near 500-acre estate of Sheppey Way has been in the works since 2018 but has frequently been pushed
01:41back and amended
01:42due to unhappy councillors and campaign groups who object to their proposals.
01:48But now the development has been deferred rather than approved.
01:52Does that mean that fields like these in bobbing behind me can live to see another day?
01:57And the developer, Catesby States, declined to comment or speak to me.
02:02Now the final decision will be pushed back to the 10th of April.
02:06But deferrals pose the risk that the government could grab permission if the council takes too long.
02:13Meaning fields like these might have their days numbered.
02:17Megan Shaw in bobbing.
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