There’s clearly a shortage of affordable housing for young people. On the other hand once valuable farmland is concreted over for house building projects – it’s gone for good.

A national planning inspector has now given his verdict on the latest housing Local Plan issued by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council – and it turns out the inspector has some big reservations about the proposals.

He has suggested the Council considers the option of cancelling of a central part of that Local Plan, which involves building a new settlement of almost 3,000 homes on farmland near Capel. The settlement is to be called “Tudeley Garden Village” and it is strongly opposed by many local people. They’ve formed a campaign group called “Save Capel”. The neighbouring council, Tonbridge and Malling are also against the settlement as it would increase traffic in nearby Tonbridge town centre .

So I spoke to Hugo Pound who is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s cabinet member in charge of housing and planning. Then I got reaction from the Chairman of Save Capel, Stewart Gledhill. Plus the landowner Hadlow Estates states why the scheme would create a "beautiful" community.