King Charles faces backlash from Kent residents over plans to build ‘ideal town’

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The King’s plan to build an “ideal town” in Kent has sparked outrage amid accusations of “swallowing up historic villages into one urban mass”.

The Duchy of Cornwall has proposed to build 2,500 properties on 320 acres of agricultural land within the medieval market city of Faversham, Kent.

The plan was introduced when Charles, then the Prince of Wales, managed the property in 2018, with the goals of delivering the “most sustainable” properties attainable, whereas concurrently combatting a housing disaster within the space.

However, native residents have warned the event – which is about to ship an “ideal town” related to the Duchy’s first “urban extension” in Poundbury – is “totally at odds” with the monarch’s stance on environmental and farming points, and couldn’t be supported by the town’s infrastructure.

The robust opposition has been aired in a public session following the submission in December of an software for consent to begin work on the preliminary 261 properties, with 120 properties set to be constructed per 12 months throughout 20 years.

The improvement web site says the plot, which was acquired by the Duchy in 1999 and is positioned to the southeast of Faversham, may have “affordable homes designed and built to the same high-quality standards, indistinguishable from market homes”.

There is about to be house for “food stores and independent retailers, craftmakers and producers” in addition to a brand new excessive road and first college. “Options are being explored for a care home and potentially a range of health-related facilities.”

It provides: “South East Faversham will be an attractive, modern and enjoyable place in which people can live, work, shop and relax. It will be guided by local needs and inspired by the character of Faversham.”

After the plans have been put out for public session with Swale Borough Council, The Telegraph reported one complainant mentioned final week: “The Duchy proposes such a development with the consequential loss of a huge area of fine productive agricultural land. This seems totally at odds with HRH’s public stance on environmental and farming issues.”

Voicing their grievances in a social media marketing campaign group, one other native mentioned: “It seems there’s no end to the greed of Prince William and King Charles!! It’s a disgrace that they pose as environmentalists when in fact they’re like all developers and it’s purely about the money! And what about food security?? All this Grade 1 and 2 farmland being concreted over.”

A 3rd resident added: “My family are very proud 3rd-generation Duchy farmers and they feel ashamed and betrayed. No honour, just greed. We were hoping the Royals were maybe oblivious to it all, with good intentions, but it’s all a gloss.”

One extra mentioned: “Do you really want it to be ‘on your watch’ that all our historic villages are swallowed up into one urban mass, and so much vital agricultural land will be lost forever?”

A spokesperson for the Duchy of Cornwall instructed The Independent: “South East Faversham will, if planning permission is granted, follow in the footsteps of Poundbury, Nansledan and other sustainable Duchy developments and become one of the most environmentally friendly neighbourhoods in the United Kingdom.

“It will prioritise access to green spaces, sustainable transport and will focus on the community’s needs – including affordable housing and a new primary school as well as new traffic infrastructure and healthcare services.

“New green spaces including meadows, orchards, allotments and woodland means biodiversity is set to increase by 20 per cent while a focus on sustainable travel and building a walkable neighbourhood is expected to generate 20 per cent fewer car trips compared to similar-sized communities.”

The Duchy added that at the very least 400 properties might be social hire and linked to native incomes, and an extra 475 market properties might be discounted for first-time consumers and shared possession properties, with reasonably priced housing for native folks and key staff prioritised.