Retired couple's dream home 'ruined' by eyesore new-builds
Grandparents Maureen and Dave King are unhappy with the new properties built close to their homes near Kent.
A retired couple say their dream home “has been taken away from us” following the construction of new-build properties towering over their back garden.
Maureen and Dave King thought they would always stay in their bungalow near Canterbury in Kent, but after the new properties were built hampering their woodland views the couple are desperate to move out.
The grandparents bought the bungalow in the quiet village of Broad Oak nine years ago. They enjoyed views of rolling fields, orchards and woodland, but the trees have since been flattened and replaced by “eyesore” two-and-a-half storey homes.
Former nurse Mrs King, 71, said: “When we bought this place, we thought when we left it would be in a box. It was our dream home - but that dream has been taken away from us.”
Her husband, a former builder, said he was losing sleep due to the stress, adding: “Now we just want to get out. It’s ruined our garden – it’s ruined everything. I was given a hot tub as a gift, but I won’t use it now if people are looking into my garden.”
The grandparents-of-nine also worry about their young family members playing in the back garden in the summer due to the lack of privacy. Mrs King said: “We've got 16-plus windows overlooking us. They can look into our garden and our home. They are an eyesore too.”
The couple say they fought "tooth and nail" to stop Barratt David Wilson Homes’ plans for the new estate from being built, but were unsuccessful. The 456-home development, named The Woodlands, was narrowly approved by Canterbury City Council’s planning committee in 2021. It was submitted along with a 630-home proposal on neighbouring land, stretching into Sturry.
Councillors gave both the green light by seven votes to five, despite fierce opposition and an almost identical proposal being rejected three months earlier.
To add to the Kings' misery, the couple say the construction process has been a “catalogue of disasters”. Last summer, a huge pile of dirt blew a thick layer of grime onto their home and Mr King’s classic car collection. Last week, work on pipes at the neighbouring construction site led to sewage backing up and overflowing into their garden.
The couple, who spent thousands of pounds refurbishing the bungalow, are desperate to leave but claim the value of their property will have plummeted due to the new development. Mrs King said: “The bungalow next door to ours has been up for sale for at least six months and they can’t sell it. The price of ours must have plummeted.”
A spokesman for Barratt David Wilson Homes added: “We work really hard to minimise the impact from construction with daily road sweepings to clean mud and in the summer months spray water to limit dust.
“If any resident has any concerns, please get in touch with us and we will do whatever we can to help.”
What are 'valid reasons' for objecting to a planning application?
Planning objection company, IObject.co.uk, has released a broad list of reasons that can be used as a basis for the objection. The list is not definitive or recommended, but rather serves as a guide for those looking to file an objection:
Negative effects on amenity (neighbours and community), particularly due to: noise, disturbance, overlooking and loss of privacy, nuisance, shading/loss of daylight
Over-development or overcrowding of the site, particularly where the proposal is out of character in the area
Negative or adverse visual impact of the development, particularly on the landscape and or locality
Detrimental effect of proposed development on the character of the local area
Design issues – including bulk/massing, detailing and materials, local design guidance/policy ignored, over-bearing/out-of-scale or out of character in terms of appearance
In conservation areas – adverse effect of the development on the character and appearance of the conservation area or heritage assets within it.
Effect of the development on the setting of a listed building
Highway safety – only if supported with detailed and technical evidence
