Prince William is set to carry on his father’s plans to build a 2,500 home ‘garden city’.
The ‘Faversham Project’ will reportedly be built on Kent farmland and whilst it has upset some climate activists, the Duchy of Cornwall said it will be fully sustainable.
Some activists have called for it be scrapped, claiming the 320-acre development could threaten the wildlife - but it comes as the country grapples with a housing crisis.
The same accusations were levelled at King Charles when he led the Duchy and it has now passed to Prince William.
The new Duke of Wales became England’s biggest landowner since taking the Duchy of Cornwall from his father with a royal estate valued over £1billion.
Plans for the new neighbourhood would see a brand new primary school, cricket pitch, shops and offices built along the stylish new homes.
Backers of the scheme said they wanted to connect residents with nature and that it could create 2,500 jobs in the process.
But some locals complained about the project and claimed it would damage local wildlife.
Faversham resident Mark Sewell told The Mail : “I've emailed and written to Prince William but I haven't had a reply.
“He is a younger and more modern royal who may be more sympathetic to the environmental damage that will be caused if this development continues. But I haven't had a response.
“The farmland is so rich in biodiversity and this scheme will destroy habitats. So many protected species will be lost - there are bats, lizards, butterflies and wild orchids. It's so sad.”
A website for the Faversham Project said: "Our surveys confirm that most of the ecological features of importance within the site are restricted to its boundaries, and the long history of intensive agricultural management has hollowed out the interior. Some farmland birds use the interior of the arable fields and bats use the buildings and trees for roosting.
"A suite of survey work, starting in 2018 and still ongoing today, followed industry guidance and the scheme has been designed to benefit the existing populations of invertebrates, reptiles, birds, dormice, bats and badgers. New habitats, such as flower-rich chalk-influenced grassland, and green corridors will be kept dark to maintain foraging areas for nocturnal mammals. Impacts to bat roosts will be avoided, when this is not possible, it will be mitigated for."
A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: "The Duchy of Cornwall is a responsible land owner committed to sustainable land stewardship and ensuring that land use meets local needs and creates positive, long-term value for communities.
"The proposed development at Faversham will deliver much-needed sustainable, affordable housing alongside community facilities and natural spaces that will create jobs, achieve net-zero carbon and enhance biodiversity in the area.
"The plans are in direct response to Swale Borough Council’s invitation to put forward proposals to answer the lack of housing in the area, with the Duchy land having been identified as the most sustainable location for the growth of the town.
"We are committed to working in consultation with the local community to ensure any development complements the local area and benefits Faversham and its residents."
