The Sevenoaks District Council consultation on proposed new Gypsy and Traveller sites closed on Friday. One of the most contentious proposals is for a 15 pitch site south of Mesne Road in Shoreham, which has been a source of major concern for local residents on grounds of unsuitability and its impact on both the village and the AONB.
I submitted my comments last week, expressing my opposition to the proposal. In part, I set out concerns shared by many about the damage done to Green Belt and AONB. However, in my role as KCC Education Cabinet Member, I also set out the problems likely to be caused to the village school. In spite of being in Special Measures, the school has been relatively well-subscribed and so the effect of a significant influx of new children in the village could well be to squeeze out others who live further away within the village or parish. You can find my comments here.
Kent Highways submitted their comments the previous week. While the submission did not sustain an objection, it incorporates two features that are very helpful to residents' case. The first is the requirement for a wide entrance to allow vehicles, some of them large, to turn in. This makes screening of the site impossible and so raises further questions about its unacceptable visual impact. Secondly, it makes clear that works would be required to deal with the steep gradient from Filston Lane up to the site. This would have clear implications for the cost of establishing the site.
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