Concerns: sewage, roads, schools and more

Dear Sir,

After our local residents meeting, I would like to express mine and my families dissatisfaction on the proposed development by Kitewood Homes. Quite clearly the infrastructure of Reculver, Beltinge and Broomfield is not designed to cope with such a development.

My main concerns amongst many others are as follows:

• Sewage:  The current sewage system in place is inadequate in coping with the demands that the additional Barnes Way estate has created.  Medway Cleansing Service (MCS) sewage teams are regularly seen clearing the waste as the current tannery plant at Hillborough cannot meet the areas current demands.
• Roads:  The area is of a village / semi-rural area, therefore the roads are completely inadequate to meet the demands of a new housing estate.  People will not simply join the Thanet Way to get from A to B, most residents avoid the poor connection onto the Dual Carriageway and access the local amenities via the existing road network. Add to this the heavy plant that would be incumbent to the area, should this development get approved, the roads will be only fit for the agricultural vehicles that used to farm the proposed land!
• Schools:  As stated in the Local papers, a school has not been promised – and even if it had – the area does not need another primary school.  My children when at Grammar School age will have to travel out of the area.  Promising land and passing the problem on to Kent County Council is not the answer, we all know they prioritise Canterbury over surrounding areas!
• Homes & Jobs:  I would welcome a development such as this… if Herne Bay surrounding areas was a business magnet with car plants or such like.  If this were so, and had the area not had any available property or brownfield land then we would welcome development.

Whilst my property backs on to the proposed field, and I will lose privacy and daylight, my real concern is that the proposal is on Grade 2 Agricultural land.  By building on this the development will hand more demand for imported products and of course this will be followed by price increases for products in demand. A sensible option would to follow Government Guidelines and prioritising building developments on brownfield land, not on perfectly arable agricultural land. We do not have a business centre and there are many available units in better areas than the Altira Estate.

As mentioned, I have extreme reservations on this proposed development.  We must take in consideration of Herne Bay's Redevelopment proposals, are we simply abandoning a perfectly good town centre and attempting to build another beside it, with no infrastructure?

I trust you will use and forward on my concerns on this poor choice of placement for a development.

Kind regards,

AR, 6th Jan 2012