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  • 2 days ago
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00:00Plans for a sprawling housing estate that would triple a village's population are back on the table.
00:05After more than two years since the last update on the 2,500 home development,
00:11the house builders, Capsby Estate and Appin Ltd have launched their new look scheme dubbed Fox Church,
00:19which would be built in Bobbing near Sittingbourne.
00:23The changes to their proposals include new provisions such as a 12 acre sports hub,
00:30and a 125 acre country park.
00:33But villagers who have formed a group called Communities Against Bobbing Expansion
00:38say they will fight the plans, which would see the loss of hundreds of acres of farmland
00:44and put pressure on already struggling local infrastructure.
00:48We'll come from over there on the hill, all the way round as the vista can see.
00:55You actually have a look at this area.
00:57Is it this you want to see, or is it houses?
01:01Bobbing has a long history.
01:03It's a very old place to live.
01:07It's a very quiet place to live.
01:10It's very nice.
01:11People are very nice here.
01:12And any further building around the area, there is not the infrastructure for it to have.
01:21I think they are dreadful.
01:24I mean, you've just got to see where this site is.
01:27You've got the A249 that side, you've got the A2 over there, both of them congested,
01:33and there is no practical highway solution to accommodate that.
01:38On top of that, you can just look around and you see this beautiful, open countryside, open agricultural land, land that we're supposed to need to feed ourselves.
01:49How much more of this are we going to sacrifice in the name of bricks and mortar?
01:54The developers will argue the scheme, which will cover 305 football pitches, does have the necessary amenities for 10,000 new expected residents.
02:06They can point to a 200-bed care home, a free-form primary school and a mixed-use centre, where there would be retailers, CAFs, flexible workspaces, health provisions and a nursery.
02:20Plans will be decided on by Swale Council.

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