Statement from Dan Wilkinson

“Having grown up in Marden I have witnessed the gradual change from a small village where everyone was at least on nodding terms with each other, to a hugely expanded residential area.

As Labour Party candidate, I condemn the proposed development, which would encompass a significant amount of rural land on both sides of Maidstone Road. 

As well as turning the village into a small town and causing no end of infrastructure problems, it would do nothing to alleviate the housing crisis since the council are perfectly happy to waive the principle of 40% affordable housing when it suits developers – we know this from experience with developers at the Springfield site in Maidstone, where the affordable housing allocation has been reduced to 10%!

Marden has already sustained a huge amount of development. Whilst I accept that due to the Borough’s local plan, a certain amount of further development is inevitable, I fully support Marden Planning Opposition’s principles in trying to prevent the urbanisation of our village.

If elected, I would use my position to promote a “brownfield first” approach where planning permission for greenfield sites is refused when there are brownfield alternatives. According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England, there are several brownfield sites in Maidstone that have not been utilised, therefore it is not acceptable for Marden to be lumbered with a mass urban sprawl.”