Withdrawal of government cash should spark council rethink of housing plans

We urge Medway to protect its precious environment and focus on brownfield regeneration

No doubt many of Medway’s councillors are disappointed at the withdrawal of their promised £170 million of government money from the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF).

This money was intended to pay for the development of infrastructure to support up to 12,000 homes at Hoo. CPRE Kent has been critical of these proposals from the start.

The Hoo peninsula is a rural area including important nature sites and ancient woodland. HIF money should be spent on unlocking derelict and previously used sites for housing, not for unlocking growth on high-quality agricultural land that is an oasis of dark skies and tranquillity in a deeply urban area.

We urge Medway Council to rethink its plans, protect its precious environment and focus on regenerating its brownfield sites.