Conservative Maidstone Councillors give green light to destruction of irreplaceable ancient woodland

3.33.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 25th Sep 2009

Conservatives plan to destroy this ancient woodland at Kingswood, Maidstone

Conservative Councillors on Maidstone Council's planning committee have voted to push through a housing development on irreplaceable ancient woodland at Kingswood in Maidstone.

The impassioned pleas of local residents powerfully backed by Liberal Democrat and Independent planning committee members were ignored by the Conservatives, despite strong protection given to ancient woodland by national and regional planning policies.

Maidstone Council's Shadow Cabinet Member for Regeneration Liberal Democrat Councillor Tony Harwood ensured that his dissent from the decision was officially recorded and stated:

"Ancient woodland is the UK's equivalent of rainforest and is the richest habitat for wildlife in the UK. I mistakenly believed that the days of grubbing-up irreplaceable ancient woodland by developers had been consigned to the dustbin of history because of extra protection afforded by Government policy and the South East Plan. However, I had not reckoned on the complete lack of empathy for or understanding of the natural world demonstrated by these Conservative Councillors."