#Countrysidenotconcrete

SOHL is an independent volunteer-led campaign group formed in 2019 and is made up of concerned residents of Lenham and the surrounding villages.

Its purpose is to represent the local community in fighting Maidstone Borough Council’s Garden Community proposal to build a new town of over 5,000 homes in our beautiful, green countryside surrounding Lenham.

Maidstone Borough Council is promoting this Garden Community proposal, autonomously acting as their ‘master developer’.  It is ‘poacher turned gamekeeper’ acting as the local planning authority on one side and as housing developers on the other.

SOHL is not anti-housing. We believe housing should be placed in sustainable locations that meet local housing need.

We support Lenham’s adopted Neighbourhood Plan which provides for over 1,000 new homes in the village over the next ten years.

SOHL has played a critical role in holding Maidstone Borough Council to account since its formation through countless public questions, speeches at committee meetings, lobbying of councillors and forensic investigation of the borough council’s business over the last few years.

Our purpose is to unite residents of Lenham and the surrounding villages and give everyone a voice. Representing our local community, we aim to scrutinise and challenge Maidstone Borough Council’s proposal and take action to defend our village and prevent our beautiful, surrounding countryside from being concreted over.