1,000 signatures reached
To: Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Save Ham Farm - Say NO to 250 houses on a Greenfield site and crucial wildlife habitat
Dear Michael Gove,
As Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, we are writing to you to ask for your help in preventing Ham Farm, a crucial piece of land in the ancient mediaeval market town of Faversham, Kent, being taken over for yet another construction project of 250 houses.
Save Ham Farm is a voluntary group in Faversham that has been formed to protest against this development. We want to protect and preserve this vital farmed land for many and varied reasons, including:
Ham Farm development would have a detrimental impact on the local community and environment. It would destroy valuable green space and wildlife habitats, increase traffic congestion and put a strain on local services such as schools and healthcare.
Ham Farm is a protected green field site that has never been included in designated housing development plans for Faversham.
Access would be through a highways network well below minimum widths required to service 250 houses.
Faversham Neighbourhood Plan, shortly to be ratified, is directly opposed to any housing development on Ham Farm.
Ham Farm is an active mixed farm, both arable and cattle, partly on marsh land, and liable to flooding.
The site was a former brick manufacturing works and brick earth extraction area, and extensive backfilling from waste products has taken place. There has been no soil investigation and the planning wrongly assumes there is no contamination. This contamination could exacerbate drainage issues.
We need farms for future food security.
Arable farm land is crucial to the sustainability of wildlife habitat.
Ham Farm is part of a corridor for birds migrating along the East Coast of England.
Ham Farm itself is a particularly important nesting area for skylarks, curlews and yellow wagtails.
Ham Farm is a green buffer between the developed area and the adjoining Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance).
Loss of green space not only affects wildlife but also contributes to climate change by reducing carbon absorption.
According to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) England is losing on average 7,000 hectares of greenfield land each year due to housing developments.
The erosion of wild life habitat surrounding this area through housing developments has made it all the more crucial to conserve what we have left.
According to the RSPB, climate change is threatening wildlife habitats across the UK. We should be protecting it rather than destroying it.
We oppose housing development on Ham Farm for the following reasons:-
Housing that has to be accessed via single lane roads should not be be built.
Housing that would sit on contaminated land should not be built.
Housing that will negatively impact on Faversham’s economy should not be built.
Housing that will contribute to foul water flooding should not be built.
Housing that will pollute the Creek should not be built.
Housing that will impact wetlands of acknowledged international importance should not be built.
Housing that will impact a Special Protection Area should not be built.
Housing that is contrary to the Swale Local Plan should not be built.
Housing that will be contrary to the emerging Neighbourhood Plan should not be built.
Housing on a greenfield site should not be built.
Housing that will add to existing unsafe and excessive pollution levels in Ospringe should not be built.
Housing that requires waterproofing against flooding should not be built.
Housing that reduces existing biodiversity and would cause harm to protected or endangered species should not be built.
We believe that the proposed housing at Ham Farm should not be built because of the above reasons.
There are other sites that can be developed without the problems and issues of Ham Farm. Priority should be placed on those sites.
HAM FARM IS NOT SUITABLE FOR A NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
We ask you to intervene on our behalf with Swale Borough Council Planning Committee to protect Ham Farm from a housing development that would contrary to local and national planning policy.
Thank you for your attention.
Save Ham Farm
Why is this important?
Save Ham Farm is a voluntary group that has been formed to protest against a development of 250 houses on Ham Farm, a crucial piece of land in the beautiful, mediaeval market town of Faversham in Kent, the Garden of England.
Please sign our petition to Michael Gove, as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, asking him to intervene and protect Ham Farm from this housing development.
Faversham has already been inundated with housing developments all around, which are rapidly changing the character of this peaceful, historic town. Swale Borough Council Planning Committee is considering yet another development of 250 houses to be built on Ham Farm, a protected green field site of existing farmland and wildlife habitat, which has never been designated as potential land for houses.
Ham Farm development would have a detrimental impact on the local community and environment. It would destroy valuable green space and wildlife habitats, increase traffic congestion, and put a strain on local services such as schools and healthcare.
Ham Farm is important to the tourist industry due to its close proximity to the old town centre and is a valuable recreational resource to the local community.
The Ham Farm site is contaminated by waste products from its previous use as brick earth extraction and brick works. There has been no soil investigation and planning wrongly assumes there is no contamination. This could exacerbate drainage issues and add to the overflow of contaminated water into the creek.
According to the RSPB, wildlife throughout the country is being threatened by the erosion of available habitat. Ham Farm is an active farm, mixed arable and cattle, offering precious sanctuary to wildlife, and is especially important for nesting skylarks and yellow wagtails, and winter roosting for lapwings. It is part of a corridor for birds migrating along the East Coast of England.
The erosion of wild life habitat surrounding this area through housing developments has made it all the more crucial to conserve what we have left. We should be protecting it rather than destroying it.
Please add your signature to this Petition if you believe that we should prioritise preserving our natural environment over a short-term gain from a housing development in an unsuitable location.
Save Ham Farm
