Developer promises train tickets for new-build residents - as estate plans spark uproar

Developers say they will buy train tickets for new residents if controversial plans for a 90-home estate in a “tiny, beautiful, much-loved village” are approved. Pentland Homes wants to build on two parcels of land in Selling, near Faversham. But worried residents say it would be the “death knell” for the village - which currently has a population of 1,000 - and “destroy people’s lives”.

One of their biggest concerns is about traffic, with the new-builds set to be located on either side of a narrow lane. In an effort to discourage the new residents from using cars, Pentland has committed to investing thousands of pounds in rail travel for prospective home-buyers. But it is also installing electric vehicle charging points for every property.



In papers submitted to Swale Borough Council, Pentland says it would offer a “monthly train ticket from Selling station”. “Residents will be provided with one train ticket to a destination of choice, up to a value of £120, per household,” the developer says. “A monthly ticket for the train is cheaper when compared to running a car.

” However, it will exclude central London as the train is already considered to be the most attractive mode of travel for this destination. Pentland has also brokered a deal with Halfords stores in Ashford, Canterbury and Sittingbourne to offer £100 gift vouchers for bicycle equipment should residents opt not to use the rail incentive. But Swale borough councillor Rich Lehmann (Green) describes the proposals as “cynical”.

"I'm very disappointed to see that this speculative planning application for 90 homes has come forward at this time,” said the Green Party representative. “It has a number of houses within the Kent Downs National Landscape (formerly known as AONB) and appears to be a cynical move to take advantage of the sites having made it into a long since dropped draft copy of a local plan." If approved, housing would be spread across two roughly similar plots of land divided by Selling Road.

On the western section, properties would extend as far back as Monica Close and Neames Forstal while the eastern side would neighbour Fox Lane and the railway line. Homes on the eastern plot would only be given access via Fox Lane, while a route into the western side would be implemented on Selling Road. Although the exact make-up of the housing is yet to be determined, Pentland is proposing 54 properties will go on the market with 32 to be used for social housing and four as affordable homes.

It also hopes to create informal play areas and open space while retaining the majority of hedgerows and trees on site. While the firm argues its project for the village would satiate the “pressing need” to deliver homes in an “ideally located” site, dozens of anonymous objections have been submitted to the council. One such dissenting voice wrote: “This is a totally inappropriate application as all of the roads around the area are small lanes and in most instances are only suitable for single-lane traffic and are not built to take the heavy traffic which this amount of housing would generate.

” Another warned: “The proposal is illogical. It is housebuilding in the middle of nowhere, that isn't wanted or needed and that will destroy the lives of people already living here.” A third resident added: “It will be the death knell for Selling.

” Other concerns included the impact on wildlife, a lack of infrastructure and flooding. Selling has no buses or medical services and its only shop is shut. Pentland’s managing director Paul Kitchingman told KentOnline that he hopes the rail and bicycle incentives will prove popular - but recognises some residents will still travel by car.

He said: “The traffic generated by the development has been evaluated by our independent transport consultants and any associated impact on the surrounding network assessed as minor. “Like with traffic generated from the existing residents of the village, car users have the ability to disperse in several directions, resulting in a minimal overall impact on the local public road network.” Mr Kitchingman says sustainable urban drainage systems will “fully mitigate and protect against preset flood storm events conditions, which include an allowance for future climate change”.

He added: “We believe that this development will offer many tangible benefits to the village, including access to highly sustainable new affordable and low-cost housing, provide substantial areas of publicly accessible open space, financial support towards the existing primary school and necessary additional funding to support a range of other key public services provided by the county council.”.