Ben Murphy is, frankly, livid. “It’s fascinating how misread this has been,” the estates director of the Duchy of Cornwall blasts down the phone from his kitchen. “It feels like the Nationals need to take a look at themselves, to be honest.”

Last month, several national newspapers and broadcasters, including the BBC, the Times, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail, ran stories claiming that the Duchy was facing a local revolt over its plans to build 2,500 homes in Faversham, Kent. This was despite the planning application at Swale borough council receiving fewer than 30 objections at the time of the reports.

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