Plans to build 350 homes on green belt land on the very edge of London may still be given the green light on appeal despite thousands of objections.
Housing developer Lands Improvement Holdings has appealed to the Planning Inspectorate after Bromley Council announced its intention to refuse the large residential development in St Mary Cray last month, before it had even made it to the planning committee.
The council said it would be contesting this appeal and seeking the rejection of the planning application as part of its “continued fight to protect green belt land across the borough from unsuitable development”.
Lands Improvement submitted a planning application last November to build 350 homes on three agricultural fields to the east of St Mary Cray Recreation Ground between Crockenhill Road and Cockmannings Road.
The 350 residential units would be made up of 40 one-bedroom apartments, 27 two-bedroom flats, 56 two-bedroom homes, 157 three-bedroom homes and 70 four-or-more-bedroom homes. Half of the 350 homes would be affordable.
The plans were received negatively by St Mary Cray and surrounding area residents, over 1,000 of whom lodged objections on Bromley Council’s planning portal. Most objectors did not want the green belt built on and on June 5, Bromley Council issued a resolution to refuse planning permission.
Last week, St Mary Cray residents and objectors received letters from the council announcing that Lands Improvement had submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate as Bromley had not determined the planning application.
The developer has confirmed this, and said it is “committed” to working with all stakeholders and felt the proposal represented an “important opportunity to help meet local housing needs”.
A Lands Improvement spokesperson said: “We have exercised our right to appeal to the Planning Inspectorate in accordance with the established planning process.
“We remain committed to working constructively with all stakeholders.
“We believe the proposals represent an important opportunity to help meet local housing needs, including the delivery of affordable family homes, alongside wider regeneration benefits for the Cray Valley Renewal Area.
“As the application is now subject to the appeal process, we look forward to the opportunity to present the merits of the scheme through the Planning Inspectorate.”
Cllr Yvonne Bear, Bromley’s Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said: “We have already indicated our opposition to this completely inappropriate development on the borough’s cherished green belt, standing beside many local residents who have also clearly voiced their opposition, including through comments made as part of the planning process.
“We will be contesting the appeal by seeking the rejection of this application by the Planning Inspectorate, which is part of our continued fight to protect green belt land across the borough from unsuitable development.”
Those wishing to add their comments to the appeal can do so until August 18 by searching reference 6011063 on the government website. The public inquiry will take place on January 19, 2027.
