Medway Council leader Alan Jarrett has hit out at people he says are "hell-bent" on opposing £170 million development plans.

The top Tory told his cabinet at a meeting yesterday that campaigners against the Hoo peninsula proposals needed a reality check.

He went on to say the project is "not optional" as legally-binding agreements have been signed between Medway and the government.

The cash comes from the national Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) and will be used to develop new homes, roads and rail links.

Cllr Jarrett revealed there has been a slight change in the plans because of a "seriously constricted timescale".

The unitary authority has asked Homes England if it can extend the period it has spend the money by a year, until March 2025.

The council expects the construction of 12,000 homes to run until 2043.

He encouraged his colleagues to push back on "people from outside this council who seem to be hell-bent on trying to disrupt the HIF process".

He said: "The HIF grant determination agreement and the deed of variation to the contract represent a legally-binding agreement between [government] and Medway Council, that is important.

"This is not optional – the delivery of the HIF is not optional."

He words follow opposition from those worried the development will drastically change the character of the area.

Residents previously signed a petition against some of the highways' changes proposed in the council's initial consultation document.

This was presented in Parliament by MP Kelly Tolhurst who has also voiced her opposition to the plans.

Deputy leader Cllr Howard Doe (Con) said: "Quite frankly, if we don't have this bid and we weren't doing this work – if we hadn't gone out and got this money – then actually Hoo would be suffering from development, endless traffic jams, and all sorts of communication blockages.

"So I want to make that point so people realise the value of this work is quite unique really, I think."

Medway recently published the results of a consultation on its initial plans on how it would spend the £170m.

The proposals included a raft of highways' alterations and a new £63 million railway station at Sharnal Street connecting the peninsula with London.

A second round of consultation lasting six weeks is due to commence in November.

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