If you have the stomach for it, you can climb the narrow crumbling stone spiral staircase to reach the roof of St Nicholas’ Church in Rodmersham.

From the top of the Norman church you get a panoramic view of north Kent. Directly below there is an apple orchard, beyond that fields of arable farmland with the occasional house, and in the distance the town of Sittingbourne, silhouettes of Thames Estuary heavy industry visible against the sky.

This is the land where Quinn Estates developers want to build 8,400 homes, new schools and a new road.

“It’s an absolutely colossal development, it will have a devastating impact on this area,” says Monique Bonney.

She grew up in Rodmersham and after living and working across the world returned to the village. She got married in St Nicholas’ Church and has been an independent councillor for the area for 18 years.

She is not just concerned about the size of the new development – Rodmersham is currently made up of 275 homes – but how much will be affordable.

Only 760 homes, she says – about 9% of the proposed development. The developers say the level of affordable housing will be decided at a future inquiry.

But others say the proposals are desperately needed, both for the local area and nationally. The UK has one of the worst housing shortages in the rich world.

Sittingbourne Football Club chairman Maurice Dunk thinks the development is exactly what the area needs.

His club is flying high at the moment – second in the South East Division of the Isthmian league and on an FA trophy run.

It is sponsored by Quinn Estates and would get a new stadium if the plans go ahead.

“The town is in a bit of a state. We need the roads. Between Sittingbourne and Sheppey there’s over 100,000 people trying to use one motorway junction.

“I appreciate the local people don’t want the houses, nobody does, but the business community definitely wants this to retain jobs in the area and hopefully expand jobs in the area.”

Monique Bonney says the area has the worst GP-to-patient ratio in the country. New medical facilities are included in the development proposal, but she is sceptical this will happen.

“I think my experience of 18 years of being an independent parish councillor and a district councillor has demonstrated that the system has utterly failed and government is absolutely incompetent for trying to deliver infrastructure services to local people.”

Chris Mitchell, landlord of the local Fruiterers Arms pub, is similarly opposed: “It will no longer be a village, it will just be another part of a commute to London.”