Poll held over orchard's future

The orchard is the planned site for 558 new homes

Villagers have gone to the polls in a people's referendum to have their say against massive housing plans for a greenfield site.

Villagers in Hoo St Werburgh, on the Hoo Peninsula, are hoping to save Bells Lane orchard from being bulldozed.

Just one line of trees divides homes in the village from the orchard, which could be replaced by more than 550 new homes.

Now the campaign group, Hands Off Kent, is holding the referendum under legislation from the 1972 Local Government Act and asking residents to vote on whether they want the building work to go ahead.

A haven for wildlife

Protesters say the orchard serves as a home for a wide variety of wildlife.

Parish council chairman, Lionel Pearce, said: "Our village is large. It is already over subscribed, in terms of surgeries and schools. We haven't got the required mains water pressure and the sewerage isn't as good as it should be.

"We are the largest village on the Hoo Peninsula. We haven't even got a police station. It was taken away from us.

"We thought enough is enough. We have got to stand up and fight."

Campaigners say land is earmarked for new homes under Medway Council's local plan, but they still hope to block development.