Crash fears over plans for ‘family homes’ on farmland in Eastry, near Sandwich

Fears over road safety and pressures on village infrastructure have been raised amid revised plans for five 'family homes' on farmland. Nine homes were initially proposed for the former grazing paddock off Lower Street in Eastry, near Sandwich.

Resident Tanya Jaynes claims traffic generated from the proposed entrance poses a 'grave danger' to the residents of neighbouring properties in Eastry.

She submitted pictures of previous incidents in the village to DDC's planning portal. Picture: Tanya Jaynes

But the application, submitted to Dover District Council (DDC), has now been reduced to five, with the design changes intended to better protect the area's heritage and landscape. If built, access to the properties would be off existing track Meadow Lane, close to Grade II-listed Cross Farm.

Architectural firm Hollaway - responsible for well-known buildings in the county such as Folkestone's Rocksalt restaurant and F51 skatepark - has drawn up the scheme on behalf of applicant Thomas Estates Developments Limited. It states the development will be in keeping with the village. According to planning documents, the revisions aim to deliver a "more compact development footprint" that allows for "generous landscape buffers" on the northern and southern edges of the site.

The proposed site in Eastry

These buffers, developers say, will "reduce both the visual and physical impact on nearby heritage assets" while safeguarding mature trees.

But despite the redesign, concerns remain among residents - particularly over the safety of the proposed entrance to the site.

Of the 36 comments received by members of the public, 25 are in objection. Tanya Jaynes, who lives nearby, raised concerns about site access. She said: "The traffic generated from the proposed entrance poses grave danger to the residents of neighbouring properties.

It puts all pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles passing this point in danger of collision as the entrance is too near a blind bend on a narrowing piece of road."

Nine homes were previously planned for the farmland in Eastry - but revisions have seen this reduced to five. This artist's impression was submitted to DDC earlier this year.

Picture: Hollaway Studio

Ms Jaynes highlighted previous crashes in the area and submitted pictures to DDC of damage. She added: "We have had a car written off while parked to the north of the proposed entrance by a speeding car. "Two of our neighbours' cars were also involved in the incident.

This is not a safe entrance or exit for frequent traffic." Andrew Jaynes added: "The road at this point is already dangerous and we have witnessed several accidents at this exact spot, one of which wrote off my van which was parked on the road." Laurence Coley, another resident, raised concerns about the growing pressures on the village.

Tanya Jaynes submitted pictures to DDC of previous issues in the village, including a damaged wall. Picture: Tanya Jaynes

"This development will result in increased traffic along an already traffic-stressed narrow road," he said.

"It will severely impact the countryside view and will lessen the village feel of Eastry.

The existing infrastructure will not cope with this." The five new homes would be arranged in a row, with rear gardens backing onto Lower Street. A belt of existing mature trees would provide screening between the new gardens and the road.

Each house will include off-street parking - between three and four spaces per plot - along with electric vehicle charging points, secure bin and bike storage, and landscaped carports to help screen vehicles from view.

In the planning documents, Hollaway says the revised scheme creates "a high-quality landscaped area at the entrance of the site," supports "biodiversity net gain", and has "increased distance between each plot".

Residents say Lower Street in Eastry is "narrow" and "busy enough already".

Picture: Tanya Jaynes

It says the scheme is intended to create a "cohesive street scene" and "a more balanced and visually sensitive layout". Although the site does not fall within a conservation area, a full heritage statement was required due to its proximity to Cross Farm. New planting and widened green buffers are designed to help maintain "a respectful relationship" between the new development and the listed farmhouse.

Find out about planning applications that affect you by visiting the Public Notice Portal.[1]

A spokesman for Hobbs Parker, a planning consultant working on behalf of Thomas Estates Developments Limited, said changes to the plan "have resulted in a lower density scheme". "The five detached dwellings have been sensitively designed to take account of their setting - both in heritage and landscape terms," they said. "Residents' concerns were taken into account at the inception of the scheme, where the consultant team attended a parish council meeting where residents were invited and discussed any issues in detail.

Amendments were made following this dialogue.

"Kent County Council Highways was consulted on the initial nine unit scheme and concluded in its response that no objection was raised to the scheme, as the amendments reduce the number of proposed units on site it is anticipated that KCC Highways will remain satisfied with the access arrangements.

"The site is allocated within the Dover District Local Plan to 2040 and the principle of development (including accessing the site) has already been judged as acceptable through the plan-making process."

The application is now under consideration by DDC, and a decision is expected to be made this month.

References

1. ^ Public Notice Portal (publicnoticeportal.uk)