Builders behind 45 homes must cough up for more GPs

A developer wanting to build 45 homes in a village has been told it would need to pay more than £40k for a new GP surgery. The NHS says the plans for the land by Borden Lane and Riddles Road in Borden, Sittingbourne, would have a “direct impact” on services. An application to Swale Borough Council was submitted by Fernham Homes at the beginning of September.

It aims to build a “high-quality development”, which includes 45 homes, two access points, open space, landscaping, drainage, infrastructure works and parking. The 3.06-hectare site is made up of two fields northeast of the village and southwest of the town.



Both are currently being used for horses. The planning documents state that 18 out of the 45 properties will be affordable housing and a further two will be custom-built. Fernham Homes held two public consultations to seek feedback on how the proposals could be “shaped to benefit the wider community as much as possible”.

NHS Kent and Medway ICB has assessed the proposals and raised some concerns. It calculated that the housing estate would generate around 123 new patients and the board has asked Fernham Homes to pay £44,352 towards the refurbishment and extension of existing surgeries. Memorial Medical Centre, The Meads Medical Practice and Green Porch Medical Partnership are the GPs nearby.

It also suggested another healthcare service should be built for the community, if the plans were to be approved. “There is currently limited capacity within existing healthcare premises to accommodate growth in this area,” the letter states. “The need from this development, along with other new developments, will therefore need to be met through the creation of additional capacity in general practice and other healthcare premises.

" Borden resident, Stephen Palmer, says he “strongly opposes” the development for several reasons, one of which is the loss of wildlife habitats. He added: “The volume of traffic has significantly increased through the town to the extent that a journey that regularly took 5 to 10 minutes is now normally 20 to 30 minutes. “The number of people using rural roads has reached ridiculous levels and is becoming dangerous and also horse riding is becoming near impossible as a result.

“The town is at saturation and can no longer cope with any additional new builds unless new schools are built first, GP levels are bought to a level whereby an appointment can be sought within days not weeks and local bus services are significantly increased. “The town needs a period of stability for all infrastructure and services to catch up and meet current population levels before another new build is approved.” Along Riddles Road, permission has already been granted to build almost 300 homes on farmland.

Swale Council gave Urban Wilderness the green light despite hundreds of people opposing the Ufton Green development in Tunstall. In August, an application for a 75-bed care home in Borden Lane was submitted. Aspire LLP has asked for permission due to a “clear and growing unmet need” for care facilities in the area.

Construction is already taking place at Manor Farm, a new 50-home development off of Key Street after it was approved. Residents stormed the site last month after the developer blocked a public footpath. To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.

A Fernham Homes spokeswoman said: “After several months of community consultation and engagement with both Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council, we have submitted plans for 45 new homes including 18 much-needed affordable homes – all with an electric vehicle charging point and air source heat pump. “The proposals also include two bungalows and two wheelchair-adaptable homes to meet local needs. “Almost half the site will remain undeveloped and dedicated to public open space, featuring a circular walking route, grass maze, and timber trim trail.

“The landscaped areas will include wildflower meadows, hedgerows, and native trees to enhance biodiversity, with additional parking allocated for the nearby allotments.” She added: “With regard to financial contribution requests to either improve or provide new infrastructure alongside new development, this is a standard part of the process for determining any planning application. “Once the requests are received, we will work with the Council to ensure that the relevant contributions are secured as part of the agreement should planning be granted.

We hope to have a decision on the plans by spring next year.” The 45 homes will be made up of 18 four-beds, 13 three-beds, seven two-beds and seven one-beds. To ensure the development caters for people with different access requirements, some have been designed as bungalows and ground-floor maisonettes.

The report says: “Publicly accessible open space with a landscaped maze and trim trail play area which, together with a looped walking route, will offer areas for activity and play in this area of Borden and Sittingbourne. “This will benefit both existing and future residents alike. This will be retained as open space in perpetuity.

” There will be 101 allocated parking spaces, with an extra nine for visitors, as well as cycle storage. A surfaced and “suitably sized” car park has been added to the proposals for those who want to use the allotments that back onto the site. The developers have proposed creating a junction leading onto Borden Lane and a second smaller entrance near Auckland Drive for access.

A new roundabout along the road has already been approved as part of the application..