Let's move to new ash green, kent: there's no hiding from the neighbours here

WHAT'S GOING FOR IT? Imagine, if you will, a property developer building a garden village of beautiful, affordable, modern homes of exemplary design – not a faux gable or ye olde garage

in sight – including hundreds for social rent for the council, all set in a luxuriant leafy backdrop of trees and "village greens". Hard, isn't it? Still, Span began such a

thing for the Greater London Council in the late 60s, designing a model development high on the North Downs for escapees from London. These days, Span homes are ogled on websites such as the

Modern House, but the company began life committed to building modernist homes at modest prices for the middling classes. New Ash Green was its biggest project. "This may well be a

model of how to get civilised modern community living in an area of beautiful landscape," said Labour minister Richard Crossman. Nearly. Peter Sissons moved in, and DJ Pete Murray and

his sideburns spun the decks at the grand opening. Cool, or what? Alas, coming at a time when mortgages were being squeezed, it sunk Span, and New Ash Green was completed, more humdrumly, by

Bovis. The indignity. The place still feels like a shotgun marriage between two visions of the future: the same-old-same-old, and what-might-have-been. THE CASE AGAINST Feels as if it could

do with some zip, or investment; the village centre in particular could use a spruce-up. Not for those who hide from the neighbours; the residents' committees are coming to get you.

WELL CONNECTED? Trains: the nearest station is a five-minute drive away at Longfield, with three or four trains an hour to London Victoria in one direction (either 30 or 50 mins), or

Rochester (15 mins) and Canterbury in the other (1 hr). Driving: the M20 is just outside town, making the M25 15 mins away; Bluewater shopping mall is 15 mins, and the seaside at Whitstable

40 mins. SCHOOLS Primaries: New Ash Green is "good", Ofsted says, with Milestone Academy "outstanding". Secondaries: the aforementioned "outstanding" Milestone.

HANG OUT AT… The village pub: do you want modernist (the Badger) or traditional (the Royal Oak) with your pint? If neither, try the newly opened micropub, the Vault. WHERE TO BUY Not your

average Kentish village. The Span plan has neighbourhoods of cul-de-sacs clustered around "greens", with roads separated from pedestrian paths and lavish landscaping. The Span

designs of Eric Lyons are excellent and modernist, but often tiled and weatherboarded in a nod to local traditions. The later non-Span ones aren't bad; they just suffer by comparison.

Detacheds and townhouses, £375,000-£475,000. Terraces and cottages, £250,000-£375,000. Flats, £200,000-£300,000. Rentals: not much; a three-bedroom house, £1,100pcm. BARGAIN OF THE WEEK A

classic Span, four-bedroom terraced house; needs updating; £459,950, with rightmove.co.uk. FROM THE STREETS MALCOLM CARPENTER "A unique place: village greens, orchards, meadows, playing

fields owned and managed by residents." JOANNA LAW "Country walks on the doorstep. But limited public transport." Live in New Ash Green? Join the debate below. Do you live in

Tavistock? Do you have a favourite haunt or a pet hate? If so, email [email protected] by Tuesday 1 October.