Fears new town will bring London sprawl to Kent Border

The Local Democracy reporting service has been looking into why National Highways has raised issued with the plans for Pedham Place.

Transcript

00:00 A picturesque village with a history dating back to Roman times.

00:05 Ainsford is located in the rolling hills of the Darent Valley.

00:09 It's surrounded by this green belt land designed to protect rural communities from London's

00:16 urban sprual.

00:17 But that is now under threat.

00:19 This golf course has been earmarked for thousands of new homes.

00:23 There is massive opposition, particularly due to the traffic and the pollution as well.

00:29 And many other factors to do with the planning that would be needed.

00:32 But the green belt is something we really want to preserve here.

00:35 And that would stop the sprawl of London from Swanley.

00:38 And that feels very important, you know, that this is a key piece of land that really oversees

00:46 a lot of really beautiful little villages with lots of character and historic interests.

00:51 Ped & Place would be turned into a community of 2,500 new homes, a high street, sports

00:56 facilities and a school.

00:58 The proposals are part of Sevenoaks District Council's local plan consultation, which closed

01:04 recently.

01:05 But now National Highway say the project is built on the assumption of roadworks that

01:10 may never happen.

01:12 Sparking campaigners' hopes that the proposals will never tee off.

01:17 I think what we saw in their response was a bit of frustration almost because they were

01:22 suggesting that we've kind of already told you this and there is no way that you're going

01:26 to be able to amend junction three.

01:29 Therefore you're going to be looking at the junction A20 and who knows what they may put

01:34 there.

01:35 Worst case, maybe stick some traffic lights there.

01:38 That's standstill.

01:39 And therefore people would be coming off the M25 further back and coming through Ainsford

01:45 and Farringham and then trying to join up through Dartford and back to the crossing

01:48 there.

01:49 So it would be chaos.

01:50 The parishes of Ainsford and Farringham are already close to Brands Hatch racecourse and

01:55 the Dartford crossing.

01:56 Locals say it doesn't take much for the small village roads to become congested.

02:02 The local parish council even did an online survey last year.

02:05 They found that 92% of people who took part opposed the development plans.

02:12 A Sevenoaks District Council spokesperson said we are currently considering all the

02:16 comments and representations made by local people and agencies.

02:21 And they say they're working with National and Kent Highways to share details of our

02:25 plans as they develop.

02:26 A revised local plan is expected later this summer and a campaign group suggests the authority

02:33 should look to brownfield sites before developing on this greenbelt land.

02:38 Gabriel Morris, Niswanli.