Residents in the Kentish village of Chartham have been left bewildered by an online advertisement offering grass verges adjacent to their homes for £8,000, with suggestions they could be suitable for a "portable home" or "the travelling community". The now-deleted listing, which appeared on property portals, described the half-acre strip as being in a "quiet residential street" and suitable for multiple uses subject to consent.
Some villagers interpreted the advert as a provocative attempt to pressure them into buying the land before someone else intervened. Dr Timothy Clark, chair of Chartham Parish Council, called an urgent meeting after residents received unexpected letters offering them the chance to purchase the verges. He said the council had not been notified about the sale proposals and noted that the land is public open space with a restrictive covenant ensuring it remains available for public use.
Canterbury City Council reassured concerned residents that it would be "unlikely" for any buyer to gain consent to change the use of the public spaces. The plot was initially owned by Growing Estates Ltd before being sold to Rubislaw Estates, an Aberdeen-based development company, which declined to comment.
Kent County Councillor Mike Sole agreed with Dr Clark that the advert could be seen as deliberately provocative. He said residents were initially fearful about what might happen and expressed concern that prospective buyers might be deceived into thinking the land could be used for purposes that are not feasible. "To me, it's completely wrong that anyone should be able to advertise land and suggest that it can be used for things it clearly cannot be used for," he added.
