Last week, on April 18, residents from the Keep Bromley Green campaign group took part in the Community Planning Alliance (CPA) Day of Action, with dozens of people gathering to show their opposition to a proposed development at Hayes Farm.
The plans, put forward by Berkeley Homes, would see the development of around 2,200 homes on land across Hayes Farm, areas near Bromley Football Club and parts of Norman Park.
Berkeley says the proposals aim to help address what it describes as a “severe housing and homelessness crisis” in Bromley, while also opening up land fenced off from public access.
The protest was attended by a wide range of residents, including dog walkers, cyclists, nature enthusiasts and horse riders who use the land for recreation and say they benefit from the area’s “natural landscape”.
Berkeley has said the scheme would create around 50 acres of new public green space, which it says would represent a significant increase in accessible recreational land for local people.
The CPA Day of Action formed part of a nationwide protest, with more than 220 groups across the UK taking part to highlight the importance of protecting nature and green spaces.
One of those in attendance was Hayes Farm resident Jessica Luong, who moved to the area partly as a result of the green belt offering outdoor space for her and her young son.
She said the nearby fields and woodland are used daily by her family for dog walks, cycling and spending time in nature, adding that access to green space was a key factor in choosing to live in Bromley.
Berkeley says its plans would retain green routes and introduce new pedestrian paths, parkland and children’s play spaces as part of a “carefully designed neighbourhood”.
However, Jessica said she feared the development would fundamentally change the character of the area.
She told News Shopper: “This development will have an impact on nature, wildlife, the environment, the ecology, on residents nearby, on everything that basically connects us to these surroundings.
“We’ve seen so much wildlife when walking with my son to school. It’s a part of our life and has been since we moved here.”
Jessica said the green belt land “connects us to these surroundings” and questioned what would happen to animals currently living there, asking: “Where does all the wildlife go?”
She also raised concerns about pressure on infrastructure, warning that “schools are very, very full already” and asking residents to consider the impact of additional traffic.
Berkeley says the site is intended to be sustainably located, within walking distance of train stations and Bromley town centre, in an effort to reduce reliance on cars.
Jessica added that losing access to the land would be deeply distressing for nearby families, saying: “It’s part of our daily life.”
A spokesperson for Berkeley said: “Bromley is suffering a severe housing and homelessness crisis and our proposals could deliver around 2,200 badly needed private and affordable homes, while opening up largely fenced‑off land to create around 50 acres of public green space, which represents a major increase in the amount of recreation space local people can currently access.
“This carefully designed neighbourhood would be sustainably located within walking distance to local train stations and Bromley town centre, offering a mix of new pedestrian routes, parkland, children’s play space and enhanced natural habitats.
“As with all our projects, we are committed to a genuine and thorough consultation process. We are actively engaging with local residents, community groups and stakeholders to understand their priorities and concerns, and will continue to listen closely as the proposals evolve.”
