04 / 11 / 19
The Kent Messenger and Downs Mail recently exposed Maidstone Borough Council’s (MBC) plan to build a new motorway junction and 5,000 houses at Lenham Heath. MBC are calling this a Garden Community and they are intending to maintain oversight by becoming a developer of the project. Lenham Heath has been named as their preferred location.
The residents had an initial meeting on the 14th October 2019 to oppose the MBC proposal and to form an action group. The action group is called SOHL – Save Our Heath Lands. The reason why SOHL was chosen is because it symbolises the SOHL (pronounced “Soul”) of the community and the SOHL of the countryside.
MBC have been working in secret and the details of the plans have been shrouded in confidentiality agreements. MBC announced the result of the call for sites on their website on the 4th November. Of the selected sites item 289 details the plans for Lenham Heath. The initial plan is for 5,000 houses in a Garden Community; however, you can easily see from the plans that this will not just effect Lenham Heath.
MBC proposals will affect neighbouring villages with a significant rise to the number of cars on our roads and a dramatic impact on the infrastructure supporting our villages. Furthermore, there will undoubtedly be additional houses – rumours are persisting that the total number of houses will be in the region of 10,000 to 15,000.
SOHL is campaigning to prove Lenham is not the right place for the development. Please support our campaign. All residents of Lenham, Lenham Heath, Platts Heath, Boughton Malherbe, Charing Heath, Egerton, Charing and Harrietsham should be concerned, please join us!
If you would like to receive our weekly information email, please send us your email to saveourheathlands@gmail.com. We are also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – please like our page and follow us!
We are planning many events over the coming months, including Lenham Community Centre, we are looking for your support.
Please join us!