Locals in a sleepy village are rallying together to protest against proposals for a new housing estate that would see it become a 'small town'.
Residents in the quiet village of Upchurch in Kent - which has a population of less than 2,500 - are up in arms against a scheme to build 100 homes on an orchard, which they say would be a 'nightmare'.
They fear that, as there aren't many employment opportunities in the town, they could become a London commuter town with clogged-up roads and packed daily trains to the capital.
Developer Croudace Homes first revealed its proposals for Upchurch, which sits between Sittingbourne and Rainham at the mouth of the River Medway, during a consultation meeting in March.
It is set to submit the plans - which would cover an area larger than eight standard 11-a-side football pitches (13 acres) - to Swale Council this summer.
While the project is still in its 'early stages', the housebuilder says 30 of the new homes will be affordable, being priced below market value.
However, scores of enraged residents in the small village are so upset by the proposals that they've been putting up signs to protest against them.
Residents in the quiet village of Upchurch in Kent - which has a population of less than 2,500 - are up in arms against a scheme to build 100 homes on an orchard, which they say would be a 'nightmare'.
They fear that, as there aren't many employment opportunities in the town, they could become a London commuter town with clogged-up roads and packed daily trains to the capital.
Developer Croudace Homes first revealed its proposals for Upchurch, which sits between Sittingbourne and Rainham at the mouth of the River Medway, during a consultation meeting in March.
It is set to submit the plans - which would cover an area larger than eight standard 11-a-side football pitches (13 acres) - to Swale Council this summer.
While the project is still in its 'early stages', the housebuilder says 30 of the new homes will be affordable, being priced below market value.
However, scores of enraged residents in the small village are so upset by the proposals that they've been putting up signs to protest against them.
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FunTranscript
00:00Obviously, it was built and built as a quiet little village.
00:03Now it's just going to be, well, not a village anymore.
00:08That'd be it. That'd be gone.
00:10This is the feeling among villagers living in Upchurch
00:13between Sittingbourne and Raynham in Kent
00:16about plans to build 100 homes.
00:19Such is the outrage that scores of protest posters
00:22have gone up across the village.
00:25They read, orchards offer producing fruit.
00:27Say no to Gaudet's homes.
00:30Philip Simmons, who has lived in the village for 12 years,
00:33is one of those who has a sign-up in his home.
00:36They're going to chop down the lovely fruit orchard
00:39we've got round the back, apples.
00:42And I didn't move here for houses to build round the back of me.
00:46Meanwhile, another resident has set up a petition
00:49to rally opposition to the scheme,
00:51which would cover eight standard 11-a-side football fields.
00:55Since he set it up online,
00:57in March, it has gathered 430 signatures.
01:01It's just giving a feeling
01:04how the village feels about what's proposed.
01:08I think as you go round the village,
01:10you talk to different people,
01:11you'll get the same response from the most people
01:14that they don't want 100 hours built down here.
01:19You know, we want to keep it as a village.
01:21Raudace Homes says its plans are at an early stage
01:26and are currently subject to change
01:28before it submits them this summer.
01:30It also says alongside the much-needed
01:33private and affordable housing,
01:35there's also scope for an area reserve
01:38for community benefit.