There are two applications which, together, seek outline planning permission for up to 8,400 homes and up to 35 hectares of employment space. They also propose a sustainable movement corridor, comprising the Sittingbourne Southern and Northern Relief Roads, in Highsted and Teynham, Swale.  The Sittingbourne Southern Relief Road would connect to the M2 (the strategic road network), via a new junction in the Kent Downs National Landscape. The application sites are not allocated and the parties accept that they are contrary to the development plan. The proposal is unprecedented in that a private developer is proposing to deliver a link to the strategic road network.

The Inquiry raises wide-ranging issues including landscape impacts (including on the Kent Downs National Landscape), heritage impacts, employment land issues, and highways matters, both on local and strategic roads. The case has received national media attention: see here (“In Kent, Labour has a fight on its hands – and a make-or-break test for its housing revolution” (19 November 2024)).

James Pereira KC and Michael Rhimes represented Swale Borough Council as local planning authority. The Local Planning Authority would have resolved to refuse planning permission, and made submissions opposing the grant of planning permission.

Mark Westmoreland Smith KC and Esther Drabkin-Reiter represented National Highways. They are the statutory consultee for development affecting the strategic highways network.