Housing Association
Today was was our usual routine of another early morning run and the weekly food shop followed by a post retail pint. Unfortunately the sunshine from yesterday had disappeared yet again and been replaced by an all too common blanket of grey.
However, we were still determined to get out for a local photographic safari before the light diminished completely. On this occasion we decided to document all the building work that it going on in our local area. As I've mentioned in previous blips there is an almost inordinate amount of development going on nearby. Everyone understands the need for housing, and most locals would be happy to take our fair share, but nearly every green field between where we live and our nearest towns, Maidstone and West Malling, are now being swamped by development and it's unsustainable. Our district, local and parish councils turn down applications for yet more housing but they are almost unanimously overturned on appeal by central government.
The developers describe them as luxury, bespoke, designer, well-appointed, quality, outstanding or prestigious developments but this just means they are nearly always unaffordable for local people and just attract those moving down from London or other more expensive parts of the country who want to get 'more bang for their buck'.
Today's image shows a path that used to pass between cottages that belonged to the nearby Royal British Legion Village and looked out across the adjacent Hermitage Lane towards open fields. As I've also shown in some previous blips these cottages were allowed to fall into disrepair and then be abandoned until demolition started in earnest and now you can only view the rooftops of the last two that are remaining above the corridor of wooden fencing that you can see in my main image, which leads to a hoarding on the opposite side of the road advertising a further 'beautiful' development of 3 and 4 bedroom houses. We're associated with it as we have to live with the consequences - an increase in traffic and pollution combined with a lack of improvement in resources to cope with the influx in population - whilst having it imposed on us despite well founded objections.
My extra shows the only silver lining in this sea of construction - the building of more support housing and facilities for armed forced veterans by the Royal British Legion.
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