Concerns over 2500 home Duchy development

Plans have been submitted to Swale Borough Council by the Duchy of Cornwall

Plans for almost 2,500 homes on Kent farmland owned by the Duchy of Cornwall have raised concerns with campaigners.

The development south-east of Faversham would include 400 social rent homes and a further 475 affordable dwellings.

Critics say the plans would have a negative impact on the environment as well as the UK's food security and self-sufficiency.

Swale Borough Council (SBC) said the application was being considered in accordance with its local plan.

The proposals were originally put forward when King Charles was the Duke of Cornwall after the land off Selling Road near Junction 7 of the M2 was purchased in 1999.

Hilary Newport, director of the Campaign to Protect Rural England Kent (CPRE Kent), described the plans to BBC Radio Kent as "a sprawling, car dependant housing estate" and said a thorough audit of brownfield land would be preferable.

She said: "We believe that it is going to be car dependant from day one and residents will have very few options other than to climb into a car to access the services and facilities that they need."

In a statement the Duchy of Cornwall said it would become "one of the most environmentally friendly neighbourhoods in the UK".

It said: "[The development] will prioritise access to green spaces, sustainable transport and will focus on the community's needs – including affordable housing and a new primary school as well as new traffic infrastructure and healthcare services."

(L-R) Campaigners Tim Vallentine, Carol Smith, Angela Penrose and Sir David Melville are concerned about the loss of farmland.

Campaigner Carol Smith from the Farm, Fields and Fresh Air group said: "This is 320 acres of the best farmland that there is in this country, we need that farmland for future UK food security.

"If this goes ahead and gets concreted it will take, literally, food out of our children and grandchildren's mouths. With climate change and wars in Europe, we can't afford to be less self-sufficient than we are now."

Follow BBC Kent on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.