Claimant cites will from 1642 in challenge to grant of planning permission for 1,600-homes development

David Peerless, a member of the Thanet Trust Association, said that in 1642 landowner Henry Robinson bequeathed the site to a trust to support scholarships and fellowships for local people, overseen by St John’s College, Cambridge.

Mr Peerless said on his Go Fund Me page that Freedom of Information disclosures showed no documentation could be found to show that any scholarships or fellowships had been awarded since 1642 and nor had the trust set up by Mr Robinson’s will been formally varied or brought to an end.

He said Thanet District Council gave outline consent for 1,600 homes on part of the trust land in Birchington.

Thanet Trust Association had been established to represent the intended beneficiaries of the bequest, and “we seek transparency in the administration of the trust and accountability in decisions affecting the land - including the planning process through which it is being developed”, Mr Peerless said.

The association had both started judicial review proceedings and was pursuing “related legal challenges to ensure proper consideration of the trust’s charitable purpose”.

Mr Peerless described this as: “A community-led effort to ensure a historic charitable legacy is properly understood and upheld.”

Some £2,150 has so far been raised from the page towards a £3,500 target.

Birchington Parish Council has separately committed £10,000 towards securing legal advice on a challenge to the planning consent.

Thanet and St John’s College have been contacted for comment.

Mark Smulian