Save Banky Meadow Campaign
Villagers’ victory in battle to save a historic meadow thought to be a Black Death pit
A bid to build on a historic Kent meadow – believed to be the burial ground for 14th-century plague victims – has been blocked by angry residents and councillors.
In a surprise victory against the odds, they halted a proposal backed by council planning officers to build houses on Banky Meadow, the signature heritage entrance to West Malling.
In a 33-page report, the planning officials threw their weight behind a proposal to build eight “self build” houses on large plots at the foot of Town Hill.
But at a showdown meeting at TMBC’s HQ at Kings Hill on Thursday, 24th September 2026, local residents and councillors joined forces to tear up the plan.
Villagers feared that if the proposal went ahead, it would pave the way for building on the rest of Banky Meadow, which has fronted the village with its Norman, Tudor and Georgian buildings for a thousand years.
There is a strong belief passed down through the generations that hundreds of village victims of the Black Death in 1349 – and twice in the 17th century- are buried in plague pits in the meadow. And there were demands at the meeting for a thorough investigation.
The council’s Planning Committee were put embarrassingly on the spot because the report was at odds with the Local Plan published just days earlier by the overarching full council.
This proposed to put all the meadow, including the planned building site, in the Green Belt.
The aim is to have a green wedge between the A228 bypass and West Malling as a break in the relentless growth of ribbon sprawl from Maidstone.
But this left the council with awkward, contradictory proposals which were denounced by one resident as ”bonkers”.
West Malling councillor Trudy Dean led the charge by demanding the public hearing. And at the end of the meeting, David Thornewell, representing all of Larkfield, moved a motion to refuse planning permission.
This was unanimously backed by a show of hands – by twelve votes to nil. And the all-party volte-face verdict was roundly applauded by jubilant residents present.
Such reversals are very rare. But despite winning the battle, the conflict is likely to continue if there is an appeal. And a new campaign to ensure the meadow is saved for good is being launched.
Even if the local plan is set in concrete later this year, it won’t apply until 2027 at the earliest. And TMBC’s battle with Whitehall could drag on for several years before the plan is finally set in concrete. The two sides have been at it for 16 years already.
So in the meantime developers can have a field day at the meadow. This happened three years ago at a 40-acre field in Larkfield because of the lack of a Local Plan from TMBC with Green Belt protection. A huge housing estate has sprung up there despite demands for a green “wedge” on that side of the main A228 route.
In a written submission to the meeting, Malling resident Thomas Kemp pointed out strongly that for centuries a Roman road led to the village across the meadow in a straight line to the spring at the foot of St Leonard’s Tower.
He demanded a full-scale archaeological survey and was backed by those councillors worried about the implications if remains were found during building.
Listed in William the Conqueror’s 11th-century Domesday Book, Bank Meadow is one of the few surviving village meadows – as is its pretty chalk river.
Dr Samuel Johnson, who compiled the first English dictionary, praised the ponds there in a letter as “commodious”. And famed artist JM Turner sketched the nearby Cascade and Norman Abbey.
Twenty years ago, angry residents stopped the KCC from building a compound on the meadow by staging a torchlit procession, and 155 signed a petition. It attracted both press and TV news coverage.
The new campaign is aimed at saving the meadow for good for future generations and will be just as vigorous.
Councillor Trudy Dean said later:
“It is rare for the TMBC Planning Committee to be unanimous in their view. So, it was great that everyone united against the application for eight new houses on Banky Meadows.
“The case is strong. The damage that would be done to the countryside setting of West Malling as a rural market town would be permanent. We would be one field away from merging with Maidstone.
“The damage to the Conservation Area would undermine the vital Local Plan proposal for an extension of the Green Belt up to the bypass. That would give West Malling greater protection from future development.
Trudy added: We expect the developer to appeal, and so we must prepare for the Public Inquiry. If you can help in any way, from admin to research, please let us know.”
For more information:
Councillor Trudy Dean Email: trudy.dean@kent.gov.uk
Councillor David Thornewell Email: david.thornewell@tmbc.gov.uk
David Kemp E-mail: david42kemp@gmail.com