Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople Development Plan Document

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I am writing to comment on the proposal of a Gypsy, Traveller and Travelling Showpeople site and the proposed site being located at The Lodge, in Water Lane. I have been a resident in Bearsted all of my life, 52 years, so know the area extremely well. I was very shocked to read that one of the proposed sites has been put forward firstly in this village, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and what horrified me the most, was that the proposal was along one of the most dangerous, narrowest roads, which happens to almost year round be deep in water, hence the name, Water Lane. This applies to both the narrow lane and the surrounding fields. My family and I were very keen horse riders many years back, so know the land and roads around here very well, especially Water Lane, Pilgrims Way and Roundwell, so I feel I am justified to comment on this proposal and give my points of view. There are many negatives to this suggestion of having a site at this location, but I would like to write a few down, which I hope will be looked at and considered. I do understand that Gypsy and Travellers need accommodating, along with everyone in our society, but I really feel strongly, that there are many better sites, which would suit both their needs, and not have such a devastating impact on an area. I have read that you have a few sites you are considering and feel the others will be much better suited. Bearsted and Thurnham and the close surrounding areas are already at bursting point with houses, cars and people. Developers keep building on any bit of land they can get there hands on, and this cannot continue, if we are to keep the integrity and beauty of our village. There are far too many cars on our roads, which a great deal of them in this direct area were built for horse and carts, and have not been widened since being built, and neither should they be, to maintain the character of our village. Water Lane, Tower Lane, Roseacre Lane, The Green, Sandy Lane, Yeoman Lane, Sutton Street, Plantation Lane, to name just a tiny amount, to give examples of a few. The lanes are narrow, windy and have no pavements for pedestrians. If you are to add travelling showpeople and gypsies to this, it would be a total disaster, and if they were not grounded from mud and water trying to get out of Water Lane, onto Roundwell, or the other end, Pilgrims Way, then they will get stuck from oncoming traffic, being cars, tractors, farm machinery and horses, that use our roads and lanes. If they are true travellers, then the constant coming and going of their cars, vans, lorries, horses will destroy the fields where you are proposing they live, and their accommodation will sink, and the areas they travel to and from will be badly impacted. Surely there is terrible drainage issues in the area, judging by the amount of times Water Lane is closed throughout each year, due to flooding, landslides and debris over the road. In winter, it is barely passable on foot, or vehicle, due to the constant water turning to ice. The pot holes are just continuous, and the sides of the roads have deep gutters and parts of the lane missing completely, due to the constant water damage. Even straight after it is repaired, the issues return almost straight away. How will having all these people living on the proposed site coming and going with trailers, cars, horses etc help this situation, and how will they dispose of their toilet matter and washing facilities? If this proposal goes ahead, the area along the Pilgrims Way, Thurnham and Bearsted will be blighted FOREVER! It is an Area of Outstanding Beauty for a reason. The wildlife, hedgerows, trees and fields will be irreplacebly damaged. No matter how much shielding you build, it will not hide the fact a huge area will be detrimentally damaged and gone forever! The landscape will be changed and the visual impact will be awful. As a village, we try to keep the rural character of the village, the land and the many listed buildings protected, why on earth has Water Lane even been considered, just because it happens to have an area of land not built on yet! The road safety, no visability around every tight bend, congestion, let alone highway access are just some of the things that spring to my mind, when you consider building anything up Water Lane or beyond that area heading towards the Pilgrims Way. What about the farm house and other homes up Water Lane, Pilgrims Way, Roundwell etc who will be directly blighted by this proposal. The worry and stress of just the proposal of something so impactful must be causing them great distress and financial ruin. Their property along with everyone's in the surrounding area, will plummet in price and be unsellable. It really is just awful. Then there are all the other things to consider such as there are limited places in our schools, waiting lists to get onto the doctors and dentists books, how will these people access shops in travelling vehicles? There is nowhere big enough to park a normal Mini, let alone anything bigger! I have read quite a bit on the proposed sites on the Maidstone Borough Council's website, but to be fair, it is very confusing and quite hard to actually reply, which makes me worry that you have made it very difficult for actual residents of our village to comment for a reason. But please do take all of my comments on board, and any others from people who may have written in. Once something great like our village has gone and been changed, it is irreplacable. There are better sites to consider, which will have less impact on so many things. I would also like to say that although I do not have very much direct experience of Gypsies and Travelling folk, the only experience I have actually witnessed in the last couple of years here in Bearsted is a group of Gypsies, who I believe come from the Sutton Valence area, who have ridden their horses, along with carts attached, down to the Green and all around it, at great speed, whilst screaming and whipping their very mistreated, thin and very poorly looking ponies, and then a few times, whilst people were sitting enjoying a summer's day, rode straight over the Green multiple times, churning up the grass, along with the Cricket Green area, galloping and riding at people without a care in the world. When confronted by a few people, they screamed obscenities and just continued. They were then seen riding at speed down the Ashford Road and drinking in The Rose pub, swearing and shouting at each other. Is this what our quiet, beautiful village is going to come to? My parents who live in Hartlip village, have a Gypsy site just down the road, just off of the A2, not far from them, and this was given the go ahead for them to have a site just like the one you are proposing a few years back. A small, well hidden, proper facilitated site for a few, but it has got completely out of hand, as more and more Gyspies and Travellers have taken the law upon themselves, and more and more keep turning up and styaing and now there are so many living there, the council have to fly drones over the top to try and witness what is going on there, as all authorities, including the police and the council, do not want to confront these folk, as they are so dangerous. A few things they do, other than litter the whole area, drive around on quad bikes on land belonging to private homes and across the church land near my parents, steal villagers dogs and cats and use them as bait for dogfighting on site. My parents have found many abandoned, disfigured, starved and badly hurt dogs down their lane, which all came from this site. Horses and ponies, some too ill to save are left tethered on roadsides. Cars have been stolen and joyridden in their village and then set on fire. Fly tipping has increased all around the lanes where my parents have lived for the last 27 years, and if my parents neighbours have caught them fly tipping and spoken to them, the gypsies threaten to follow them home and do unthinkable things, like set their houses on fire. My parents are very caring people and had a couple of men knock on their door asking for directions, who were quite clearly drunk, when they directed them and went to shut the door, they got aggressive, and one of them took out a catapult and fired a ball bearing type marble through one of their windows which shattered. My parents called the police who took details, but said unfortunately they know the culprits, and there are too many of them to go and face and try to prosecute them in any way. Just do not open your door next time they were told and the issue has been logged! They have lived in a lovely listed property all this time, and now want to move, purely because of this site. So my parents who raised me in Bearsted, went to Hartlip when we all left home. Their village was like Bearsted & Thurnham, but now they have their house up for sale to move back to Bearsted, and to my horror, this is what you are proposing to come to our village. Please, don't push people out of their homes here. This site would not work on any level. I do not wish to tarnish all Gypsy and Travelling folk with the same brush, but please read what I am saying, just from a tiny bit of experience, and if a site has to be found, a better site proposal MUST be found. We have all worked hard to buy our homes and live here in peace with our neighbours. I fear once you let in a few, you open the gates to something that will quickly be out of anyone's control, especially the council and the police. Thank you for reading my comments and I really hope you consider them in the consultation.