Scores of residents and local groups have voiced their opposition to a planning application lodged by East Malling Trust (EMT) to build homes on land occupied by East Malling Research.
The plans, submitted to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council (TMBC), concern the proposed construction of residential dwellings and associated amenities on land at Rocks Farm, in The Rocks Road.
More than 35 letters of objection from those who claim they will be harmed by the project have been recieved by the planning authority.
One calls the plans “totally inappropriate”, and another notes: “This development appears to be driven purely by maximising profit... we only see this proposal as negative and to the detriment of our small village and beautiful surrounding countryside.”
Fears have also been raised about the development potentially spoiling views, the strain - both during and following construction - it could put on local roads and those using them, and the affect it may have on a nearby Grade II listed farmhouse.
East Malling and Larkfield Parish Council, meanwhile, is worried about the scale of the project, and the fact the homes only cater to the top end of the market.
A spokesperson for EMT said: “As a charity, EMT is always looking to get the best value of its land and property assets. This includes the development of some pockets of land where that land is no longer required for science or farming purposes by any part of the group.
“The pocket of land at Rocks Farm will see the demolition of a large, redundant shed and a tied-accommodation bungalow, with the tenant rehoused in Trust property. Both buildings are a blot on the landscape. The area of land will be significantly enhanced by the building of five ‘top-end’ residential properties.
“The development will be appropriate and in keeping with the feel of this part of the village. Indeed, a larger development on 3ha at the other side of Trust land at Orchard Gate won the Best Large Development prize at the Evening Standard’s New Homes Awards 2015.”
The spokesperson noted that the development won’t cause a “significant, long-term alteration in traffic”, and added: “The development of this land is part of the continued and ongoing, long-term vision of the Trust to underpin the science at East Malling Research.”
The application is due to go before a TMBC planning committee in July, although this is still to be confirmed.
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