Original South East Regional Assembly options from KCC - Published Nov 2005

Dover District Council’s have asked for 8,100 new homes to be built in the District as part of the South East Plan, the plan that sets housing numbers in the region for 2006 to 2026.

Dover District had been allocated 5,900 homes under option 1 of the Plan, but the Council have taken 200 extra homes from Faversham District’s allocation and asked for an additional 2,000 homes over and above the South East Plan’s proposals for East Kent.

These facts were revealed when Dover District Council’s advisory group, the Local Development Framework (LDF), met at the Council Offices on 29 November 2005. The meeting went on to identify 5 areas in Whitfield as main contenders for the necessary Greenfield development to take place. These areas will now go forward to the next stage of the planning process and will be investigated in further detail.

If this land is scheduled for development, half of Whitfield will be encircled. The open countryside adjacent to Newlands, Archers Court Road, Cranleigh Drive, Farncombe Way, Beauxfield, Napchester Road, Church Whitfield, Green Lane and Singledge Lane would disappear under new housing estates.

Dover District Council originally wanted up to 14,200 new homes to initiate economic regeneration in the area. This is contrary to Kent County Council’s Core Strategy in their response to the Draft South East Plan in April 2005 which states that "The approach should be one of growth in the economy and investment in infrastructure leading the process of change rather than a narrow emphasis on a step change in housing supply."

Whitfield Action Group does not oppose new homes - in fact we would encourage the building of needed and justifiable properties in areas that are suitable, people have a right to a home and a good quality of life. There are certainly enough brown-field sites and infill sites to supply houses for many years and in turn these will meet the demand without the need for developing the green fields that surround Whitfield.

For further more detailed information please phone Mr Mike Ebbs (Forward Planning Manager) on (01304) 872472 or write to Mr M Ebbs, Forward Planning Manager at Dover District Council, White Cliffs Business Park, Dover CT16 3JP.