Evergreen Escapes Group has submitted plans to transform eight caravan sites in Eastchurch, on the Isle of Sheppey, into a new estate called Kinford, featuring hundreds of homes, a retirement community, and a 70-bed care home.
The development, which would be built off Warden Road, involves a £142m investment in the sites, which have been combined into Kent Parks. The eight sites are Shurland Dale, Elmhurst, Sunnymead One, Sunnymead Two, Pleasant View, Cliff Cottages, Eastchurch Chalet Park, and Brookside Leisure Park.
According to the plans, the scheme would include 400 new residential park homes, 98 apartments and houses, and a retirement community area with 136 apartments, 60 assisted living apartments, and a 70-bed care home. Shurland Dale and Sunnymead One would remain as a holiday park and be refurbished with space for 228 caravans.
The developers say they expect the project to create 400 jobs, both through the development and indirectly in the local area. A new seven-day bus service would connect the estate to the surrounding area, and a convenience store, café, and transport hub would be built in the centre of Kinford.
The swimming pool and its associated changing and viewing areas at Shurland Dale have already received a £350,000 makeover.
Evergreen CEO Geoff Cowley said the development is a "commercially viable commitment" and will be a place where "people of all ages can live well".
However, residents have expressed concerns about the scheme. A 74-year-old resident at Sunnymead One said the park needs investment but doesn't want to be forced out. Adrian Froome, 69, who lived at Sunnymead Two for 30 years, said he would not be happy if forced to leave.
In response, Evergreen says that once planning permission is granted, it will roll out a structured relocation process for affected owners, assessing suitability and providing notice. The company said it would work closely "with each affected owner".
Previously, Kent HoldCo asked permission to allow caravan owners to live on the site all year, citing around 400 "vulnerable residents" including people with dementia and families with newborns.
The plans have won support from local figures. MP Kevin McKenna (Lab) called the investment "truly transformational" and said it could turn the island into "the shining jewel it deserves to be". Tory councillor Tara Noe welcomed the investment and the new bus service. Tim Lambkin, managing director of Travel Masters bus service, supports the plans and urges the borough council to make them a reality.
Residents and members of the community have also raised specific questions about the project, including where doctor and dental services will come from, and how construction traffic and water facilities will be managed.
The development is expected to have a six-year phased build, with the holiday park and the majority of park homes built within three years.