Beaver

It looks so peaceful but for how long? However, there don’t seem to be development plans to ruin it, at the moment.

The green polythene, affixed to the stakes, and the earth bank are the first signs of the vast development, to be known as Chilmington Green, which will one day be visible from this location. Planning permission has been granted by Ashford Borough Council under application number 12/00400/AS. This is an “outline application for a Comprehensive Mixed Use Development comprising: up to 5,750 residential units, in a mix of sizes, types and tenures; up to 10,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Bl use; up to 9,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Al to A5 uses; Education (including a secondary school of up to 8 ha and up to four primary schools of up to 2.1 ha each); Community Uses (class Dl) up to 7,000 m² (gross external floor space); Leisure Uses (class D2) up to 6,000 m² (gross external floor space); Provision of local recycling facilities; Provision of areas of formal and informal open space; Installation of appropriate utilities infrastructure as required to serve the development, including flood attenuation works, SUDS, water supply and wastewater infrastructure, gas supply, electricity supply (including substations), telecommunications infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure (including CHP in the District Centre); Transport infrastructure, including provision of three accesses on to the A28, an access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane, other connections on to the local road network, and a network of internal roads, footpaths and cycle routes; New planting and landscaping, both within the Proposed Development and on its boundaries, and ecological enhancement works; and associated ground works where appearance, landscaping, layout and scale are reserved for future approval and where access is reserved for future approval with the exception of the three accesses on to the A28 and the access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane”. Nearly all traces of the footpath, which once crossed this field, have been obliterated.

In the distance, work was being carried out to transform a corner of the field and the result can be seen in this image of TQ9939 : Farmland, Long Length. This was one of the first signs of the vast development, to be known as Chilmington Green, which will one day be visible from this location. Planning permission has been granted by Ashford Borough Council under application number 12/00400/AS. This is an “outline application for a Comprehensive Mixed Use Development comprising: up to 5,750 residential units, in a mix of sizes, types and tenures; up to 10,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Bl use; up to 9,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Al to A5 uses; Education (including a secondary school of up to 8 ha and up to four primary schools of up to 2.1 ha each); Community Uses (class Dl) up to 7,000 m² (gross external floor space); Leisure Uses (class D2) up to 6,000 m² (gross external floor space); Provision of local recycling facilities; Provision of areas of formal and informal open space; Installation of appropriate utilities infrastructure as required to serve the development, including flood attenuation works, SUDS, water supply and wastewater infrastructure, gas supply, electricity supply (including substations), telecommunications infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure (including CHP in the District Centre); Transport infrastructure, including provision of three accesses on to the A28, an access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane, other connections on to the local road network, and a network of internal roads, footpaths and cycle routes; New planting and landscaping, both within the Proposed Development and on its boundaries, and ecological enhancement works; and associated ground works where appearance, landscaping, layout and scale are reserved for future approval and where access is reserved for future approval with the exception of the three accesses on to the A28 and the access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane”.

It may appear as an idyllic country lane but the farmland, beyond the trees on the right, is already showing signs of the vast development, to be known as Chilmington Green, which may change the appearance of this lane one day. Planning permission has been granted by Ashford Borough Council under application number 12/00400/AS. This is an “outline application for a Comprehensive Mixed Use Development comprising: up to 5,750 residential units, in a mix of sizes, types and tenures; up to 10,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Bl use; up to 9,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Al to A5 uses; Education (including a secondary school of up to 8 ha and up to four primary schools of up to 2.1 ha each); Community Uses (class Dl) up to 7,000 m² (gross external floor space); Leisure Uses (class D2) up to 6,000 m² (gross external floor space); Provision of local recycling facilities; Provision of areas of formal and informal open space; Installation of appropriate utilities infrastructure as required to serve the development, including flood attenuation works, SUDS, water supply and wastewater infrastructure, gas supply, electricity supply (including substations), telecommunications infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure (including CHP in the District Centre); Transport infrastructure, including provision of three accesses on to the A28, an access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane, other connections on to the local road network, and a network of internal roads, footpaths and cycle routes; New planting and landscaping, both within the Proposed Development and on its boundaries, and ecological enhancement works; and associated ground works where appearance, landscaping, layout and scale are reserved for future approval and where access is reserved for future approval with the exception of the three accesses on to the A28 and the access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane”.

The green polythene seen in the image of TQ9939 : Farmland, Long Length has been removed, while the entrance to the field now has a fence across it. The farmland will eventually become part of a vast development, to be known as Chilmington Green. Planning permission has been granted by Ashford Borough Council under application number 12/00400/AS, for an “outline application for a Comprehensive Mixed Use Development comprising: up to 5,750 residential units, in a mix of sizes, types and tenures; up to 10,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Bl use; up to 9,000 m² (gross external floor space) of Class Al to A5 uses; Education (including a secondary school of up to 8 ha and up to four primary schools of up to 2.1 ha each); Community Uses (class Dl) up to 7,000 m² (gross external floor space); Leisure Uses (class D2) up to 6,000 m² (gross external floor space); Provision of local recycling facilities; Provision of areas of formal and informal open space; Installation of appropriate utilities infrastructure as required to serve the development, including flood attenuation works, SUDS, water supply and wastewater infrastructure, gas supply, electricity supply (including substations), telecommunications infrastructure and renewable energy infrastructure (including CHP in the District Centre); Transport infrastructure, including provision of three accesses on to the A28, an access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane, other connections on to the local road network, and a network of internal roads, footpaths and cycle routes; New planting and landscaping, both within the Proposed Development and on its boundaries, and ecological enhancement works; and associated ground works where appearance, landscaping, layout and scale are reserved for future approval and where access is reserved for future approval with the exception of the three accesses on to the A28 and the access on to Coulter Road/Cuckoo Lane”.

Near Court Lodge Farm.

Planning permission was granted by Ashford Borough Council under application number 12/00343/AS for "change of use of post office to residential, bay window to front elevation and alteration of door to window”

This gridsquare was open fields until fairly recently but its north-western corner has now been largely built over as Ashford continues to expand. The building on the left is part of the electricity distribution network of EDF Energy. Taken from Pound Lane which still forms a border with open country.

New housing on the edge of the Stanhope area of Ashford. The fields to the North side of Pound Lane are repidly disappearing as the estate encroaches on the village of Kingsnorth, which will soon be swallowed up and become just another area of Ashford.

As seen from Long Length road.

The long distance path heads right to Chilmington Green or left to Pound Lane.

The long distance path heads from the fields of Court Lodge Farm towards Long Length road. It passes over a field ditch.

The long distance path heads from Long Length towards Pound Lane through Court Lodge Farm.

As seen from the Greensand Way (long distance path).

The long distance path heads from Court Lodge Farm fields towards the lane. It crosses over a deep field ditch that leads into the East Stour.

The long distance path heads right across Court Lodge Farm fields towards Long Length. It also heads straight on along the lane towards Kingsnorth crossroads.