Imperial College's bombshell landed on the quiet village on Thursday, December 8. Imperial's plans for the future of their 900-acre estate in Wye were splashed across the front page of the Kentish Express newspaper as the “biggest change since coming of the railway”.

This is how the village learnt that a £1 billion scientific research centre and manufacturing facility is planned for Wye. On Tuesday, December 6 'The Wye Concordat' was signed at the College by the Rector of Imperial College London and the leaders of Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council.

However the Chairman of Wye with Hinxhill Parish Council, John Hodder and the Chairman of the Wye Business Association, Ann Sutherland were only invited the day before to attend the signing on Tuesday. This is the first time that either of them heard of any Imperial College plans.

Imperial’s plans include research, manufacturing and substantial housing development for 5000 jobs in Wye. It is entirely unclear at this stage how this development could be achieved here in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nor is it evident how the plans fit in with the Local Development Plan.

Wye is in shock. People had no inkling of these plans and have yet to digest the implications. There are few details available and we are in the dark. What is plain to see is that any such development would dwarf the village and destroy its unique character. Wye has enjoyed a rich, rural heritage, excellent community spirit and sense of identity. The community is working hard to keep the village socially and economically viable .

At present Wye has a balanced social mix which has evolved over many hundreds of years. Families, houses, organisations and businesses co-exist and are mutually supportive. However, the scale of Imperial's proposed development is breathtaking; if built, the village would become unrecognisable. 

People are waking up to the idea that prime agricultural land could be covered with housing to accommodate the new staff, and see the plans as "massive property development and industrialisation which will ruin our village".

Deputy Rector, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz sent a standard letter around Wye on Friday. He referred to Imperial's "exciting plans". He invited "neighbours" to a meeting at 7.30pm on Monday, 9th January 2006 at Swanley Hall, Withersdane, Wye.

Imperial College claims it "is good for Imperial, good for Wye, good for Ashford and Kent, and is great for Britain." While this all sounds very grand, the benefits to Wye and surrounding villages remain unclear.

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