Pledge

Supporters Pledge Fund

We have spent the last four years opposing the disastrous Heathlands proposal through the regulatory planning system.

In the unfortunate event that the planning system fails our community, we believe we will be left with no choice but to mount a legal challenge on the decision to adopt the Maidstone Local Plan.

To mount a legal challenge, we will have to move quickly and this could be as soon as May 2024.

To help us gauge how much we will have in our ‘fighting fund’ to pay for legal representation we are asking our supporters, who feel they can, to pledge any amount of £500 or more. This will help us know what funds we have before we commit to any legal support and allow us to call upon funds swiftly in an equitable way.

Find out more about making a pledge below:

What is a pledge?

The pledge allows funds to be paid across only when it is needed. If the funds are not needed, then the funds stay in your pocket.

What are the funds needed for?

We need funds to pay for legal representation to challenge Maidstone Borough Council’s plan to build 5,000 houses on the edge of the village. This so-called Garden Community will be 2.5 times larger than the size of Mote Park in Maidstone and will have a devastating impact on Lenham and the surrounding villages.

How the pledge works

1. The SOHL scheme applies to those who wish to pledge any amount of £500 or more
2. You advise SOHL, in confidence, the amount you would like to pledge by completing a pledge form below.
3. To secure a pledge, an immediate contribution of 10% of the sum pledged should be paid as a donation. This will be deducted from your pledge balance.
4. At this stage, no further money is physically transferred but all the pledges will be recorded, in confidence, in the SOHL funding plan.
5. If/when the time comes that we need additional funding beyond that raised more conventionally, the same percentage of each pledge from all participants of the scheme will be requested. A two-week notice period would be given in writing indicating the amount being requested. Donations made will be deducted from your pledge balance.
6. If exceptional circumstances arise that jeopardise your commitment to this scheme, we respectfully request you advise SOHL at your earliest convenience.
7. The scheme will be managed by the SOHL Executive in accordance with data privacy laws and overseen by the Chairman of Lenham Parish Council. The system is set up with the utmost discretion and confidentiality.