Campaigners Colleen Dunphy and Michelle Brinkley, founders of the Wilder Kent Award‑winning Keep Bromley Green campaign, have organised a community walk on March 22 in Bromley Green.
The walk is part of efforts to oppose plans for the Hayes Farm development on protected green belt land between Bromley and Hayes.
Berkeley Homes has proposed plans to build 2,200 homes on Hayes Farm and nearby Norman Park, a large stretch of parkland that sits between Bromley Common, Hayes and Bromley town centre.
Campaigners have been supported by more than 11,000 signatures on a petition on Change.org and endorsements from local councillors and the area’s MP.
Around 80 to 100 residents are expected to join the walk, along with several community groups aligned with the Keep Bromley Green campaign.
The plans were presented to residents at a public exhibition in late 2025, and although no formal planning application has yet been submitted, leaflets detailing the potential scheme have circulated locally.
The site includes open countryside widely used for recreation and known for its wildlife, with campaigners describing it as a vital buffer that prevents surrounding areas from merging into one continuous urban sprawl.
Residents have opposed the plans due to concerns about losing protected green belt land that supports wildlife, grazing and community use, as well as fears over infrastructure pressures a major housing development could bring.
Colleen, a local grazier and keeper of horses on the land, told News Shopper that she and other graziers are “really concerned” for the welfare of horses, including elderly horses.
After receiving notice that the land agents had signed a contract with Berkeley Homes — meaning graziers could be given just three months to leave if planning is approved — she said she and fellow grazier Michelle felt they had “no choice but to act”.
Colleen, who has kept her horses there for 15 years, said the development would be devastating for both the grazing community and the wildlife that relies on the green belt land.
“To be told we’d only get three months to leave was a real shock,” she added.
“Some of these horses are so old they couldn’t move — there’s nowhere else like this to graze.”
Fellow grazier and campaigner Michelle said she was “devastated” by the news, with many graziers facing the grim outcome of potentially having to “put their older horses to sleep” if plans were approved.
“The majority of people would have to put their older horses to sleep or try to sell the younger ones because there just isn’t any land to house them,” Michelle told News Shopper.
Some locals also fear the proposed build would impact the area’s wildlife, with campaigners documenting nature online, earning them the best newcomer award at the Kent Wildlife Awards.
Residents and graziers have spent months photographing and recording species such as red deer, rare white badgers and a variety of birds to showcase the area’s biodiversity.
Campaigners say this documentation highlights what could be lost if development goes ahead, stressing that the fields and woodland support long‑established habitats that have existed for decades.
“It’s not just about the horses, it’s the bigger picture,” Colleen said.
“Where does all the wildlife go? These species have lived here for decades.
Hayes resident Alex MacMahon, who moved to the area three years ago after being “drawn to the green space,” told News Shopper the development would result in a “big loss” for the community.
“It is a place that I walk around frequently, especially if I’m working from home.”
Alex added that there “isn’t really much else” in the way of large green spaces in the area and warned that the development could also result in a “loss of privacy” for residents living near the land.
In a statement, Berkeley Homes said the plans would help address Bromley’s housing pressures by delivering around 2,000 new homes.
They added that the scheme would also open up currently fenced‑off land to create 50 acres of public green space with new routes, parkland and play areas.
A Berkeley spokesperson said: “This carefully designed neighbourhood would be sustainably located within walking distance of local train stations and Bromley town centre, offering a mix of new pedestrian routes, parkland, children’s play space and enhanced natural habitats.”
