Developer seeks to revise plans to build 825 homes

Residents have criticised revised plans for up to 825 homes on orchard land in Kent after a local authority earmarked the site for development in its draft local plan.

It comes after Esquire Developments' proposal to build 750 homes on a 51-hectare land off Pump Lane, Rainham, was met with opposition from campaigners.

The company is now requesting further views on a plan for more homes on the site, temporary accommodation, schools, a care home, shops and public open space.

Campaign group Stop Pump Lane Development said residents were "incredibly angry" at the request, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Group member Jo Sage described the site as a "fantastic working orchard" and warned development would damage wildlife habitats and increase pressure on local roads.

"Once it's gone, it's gone," she says. "Food security is really important."

Campaigners are also challenging the site's inclusion in Medway's draft local plan, arguing it was added late in the process and that concerns over traffic and infrastructure "remained unresolved".

Previously, Medway Council had refused a 1,250-home scheme for the site in 2020, which was proposed by another developer.

However, the land was allocated for housing in its draft local plan last year.

Gillingham and Rainham MP Naushabah Khan said while she supported the need for new housing, she argued the Pump Lane site "should never have been allocated at such a late stage in the process".

Khan also expressed concerns that development would "bring harm" to the highway network, landscape and local heritage.

Any formal planning application would be subject to a separate planning process.

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