The Parade, Bearsted Green

I put this up today, not because of any photographic merit but because this little row of shops and the red telephone box is under threat from developers.

It doesn't look much but it is part of our village's heritage, sits in the village conservation area and according to the conservation assessment makes a positive contribution to the conservation area around the village green.

We learned just before Christmas that the lease owners were asking for planning permission to demolish the building and replace it with retail units with permission for extended opening hours and with 2 storeys of flats above.

This has caused an outrage in the village, not least because it is another attempt at unsustainable development but also because these three shops provide empoyment for over 39 people, many of them youngsters. Once these shops close, as the site is rebuilt, they will not return. One shop is a renowned butchers and delicatessen. We fear what will replace these shops is a mini-market. The plans have insufficient space for parking either for shoppers or residents of the flats, nor do the plans have any provision for deliveries.

This is yet another development driven by speculation and economic gain. This is not a development based on the needs of the local community. That's the whole trouble with the current planning fiasco. Speculative developers see the main chance for making big bucks, there're not doing it to meet needs, local or otherwise. If they were, then we'd have shops that were in tune with local demand and houses that meet the needs of low income people and core professionals.