Stones farm proposals for 600 new homes at Bapchild given go-ahead by Swale council

Plans for up to 600 new homes at Bapchild have been approved in principle.GH Dean and Co has applied for permission to build on farmland off The Street at Stones Farm.Despite a campaign by villagers, the land was earmarked for housing by Swale council in its 2008 planning blueprint for the borough.On Thursday, members of the council’s planning committee granted approval – even though Kent County Council’s highways department had objected.Kent Highways said the issue was with the Swanstree Avenue and Canterbury Road junction, where changes had reduced the amount of traffic it could cope with.Traffic studies carried out on behalf of GH Dean had originally shown the junction could handle extra vehicles.However, Kent Highways argued the findings were out of date because they were compiled before the Swanstree junction was changed.The council’s area planning officer, Graham Thomas, said the matter was a technical issue and recommended the committee agreed the plans, subject to the junction issue being resolved.