Locals' fury at council's plan to demolish garden centre for new homes (2025)

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Council plans to knock down a beloved garden centre and use the land to build 12 large homes instead have sparked anger in a quiet leafy neighbourhood in Kent.

Medway Council approved proposals last week to demolish Dillywood Garden Centre in Higham to make way for firm Provectus Developments to construct luxury dwellings.

The planning application details developers' intentions to build 12 homes on the site, all of which would have four or more bedrooms, surrounded by a wall of trees.

But locals have reacted angrily to the scheme, arguing the area does not have the capacity for increased traffic, sewage and higher demand on local services.

They accused the developers of designing a 'blot on the landscape' which would have a 'detrimental impact' on the local area.

Councillors have accused the developers of building on green belt land, but in approving the plans Medway Council ruled it was a 'classic grey belt site' - meaning the land is not subject to the same protections from development.

Dillywood's owners announced the centre would be closing down shortly before Christmas, with planning proposals submitted by developers in February.

This includes the closure of the centre's tearoom and aquatic centre.

Reacting to the closure online, one local said: 'I remember this as a child being taken there by my parents, absolutely beautiful place - but it is nestled in the middle of a country lane.

'Who would want a house in the middle of nowhere?'

A second added: 'Medway Labour council will approve any building applications now! More houses more revenue, they don't care about land and infrastructure!'

Councillor Jordan Meade, representing Higham and Shorne Ward on Gravesham Borough Council, said the plans would have a 'detrimental impact' to the village.

He claimed building the houses would be a 'significant overdevelopment within the greenbelt area', adding 'the application is not in-fitting with the local community and would present itself as a blot on the local landscape'.

Mr Meade said: 'We are very concerned by this application and do not believe that the proposal has been considerate of the right of local people to enjoy village life.

'We further believe that there are significant and unaddressed Highways issues which if not mitigated against, could result in danger to persons and property and we further believe that the threshold for special circumstances to develop the greenbelt have not been met.'

Members of the public also cited concerns over traffic and the environment as they lodged their opposition to the plans, with one writing: 'The proposed development provides no benefit to the area and will disrupt it completely.

'This development is in the wrong place to be useful or economical, not to mention the environmental impact of heavy goods vehicles and construction.'

Local group theDickens' Country Protection Society also opposed the plans, submitting a complaint that the 'proposed residential use does not conform with Green belt policies' and the houses would be 'out of character with the area'.

But at last week's Planning Committee meeting,Councillor Adrian Gulvin said: 'We need some quality housing in Medway, four-bedroom houses are not often built here, there is a shortage of that.

'These will be bought by people moving from three-bed homes, as their families grow, which will release those three-bed properties for others.'

The plans were granted approval last Wednesday.

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