A controversial housing development has been given the go-ahead in Minster.

Proposals to build 14 homes in Parish Road were approved at a Swale council planning meeting on Thursday.

The affordable property scheme received 12 letters of objection from residents and 84 people signed a petition to oppose it.

Minster Parish Council was also against the plan, claiming it was out of character with the street scene.

Members also raised concerns over flooding and drainage and asked for designs to be put in place to mitigate the risk.

Cllr Andy Booth, (Con) representative for Minster Cliffs ward, gave a mixed reaction to the decision.

He said: “I’m happy and unhappy. The Island needs affordable housing, Swale is in need of affordable housing, but I don’t think this is the most suitable site.

“It’s the wrong location. It’s on a flood plain and susceptible to flooding.

“With 14 new homes, potentially we’re also looking at 28 more cars on the road.

“It’s going to compound an already serious traffic problem for thousands of motorists.”

The application by Meopham Property Developments Ltd, is for 10 two-bedroom, two-storey houses and four three-bedroom, two-storey properties.

It will be built along a stretch of Parish Road towards the junction with Dreadnought Avenue.

The site forms a plot allocated by the adopted Local Plan for the building of 130 houses as part of the Plover Road development.

Council planning officer, Jim Wilson, recommended the scheme for approval subject to conditions including further ecological and drainage information and the signing of a 106 agreement for an undisclosed contribution towards local services and that a minimum of 30% of the homes are affordable.

Cllr Booth said his proposal to ensure the new homes went to local people as part of the criterion for the development going ahead was “nodded through” at last week’s meeting.

He said: “I upheld the parish council’s opinion, but yet again, the borough council have not taken the parish council’s views seriously and that’s something that gives me concern.”