Three Kent Parish Councils join forces to urge Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) to reconsider their proposals for a new settlement at Pedham Place.

A trio of Parish Councils in Kent have announced that they will collaborate with award winning planning experts to challenge a controversial new settlement in Sevenoaks.

Farningham, Eynsford, and Crockenhill Parish Councils have joined forces with the country’s top planning experts Tibbalds to compile the evidence that SDC’s plan to build a new settlement for 6,000 people is not fit for purpose, is not in line with national planning policy, and instead promotes the wrong development, in the wrong place to meet their housing needs.

Proposals for Pedham Place, Farningham, include at least 2500 new homes and a 28,000 seat rugby stadium, on the highest point of the beautiful Darent Valley, which sits within the Metropolitan Green Belt and the Kent Downs National Landscape. The proposed site would only be accessed from the existing A20 adjacent to the congested and polluted M25 junction 3, where it meets junction 1 of the M20, which has long received criticism for poor traffic management and air quality.

The opposing Parish Councils argue that the development proposals conflict with National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF); and that the location is fundamentally unsustainable, with limited access to public transport, which will result in more car journeys adding further congestion and pollution locally. The Parish Councils recognise the challenges for SDC in meeting their housing targets but believe there are more sustainable options in the district which will not result in an act of irreversible environmental vandalism on our local environment and to our communities.

In a recent meeting of their Development and Conservation Advisory Committee, Councillor Julia Thornton said that proposed changes to the NPPF announced by Government would mean that the housing targets for SDC could rise by up to 58%, which may result in the Council having to delay the development of their Local Plan, and fundamentally rethink how they can meet their defined need.

Daryl Burns, Chair of Farningham Parish Council said, “Farningham Parish Council is conscious of the additional challenges placed on SDC through the proposed changes to NPPF, and we want to work positively to support them in developing an effective local plan as quickly as possible. However, we fundamentally oppose the continued inclusion of Pedham Place as a potential part of the solution. Pedham Place is both Green Belt, and a National Landscape, and does not meet the draft definition for grey belt as set out by the new government, meaning that it will not be deliverable. We believe that continuing to pursue Pedham Place is a folly, which will ultimately waste public money and delay the implementation of the Sevenoaks Local Plan.”

Vince Robson, Chair of Eynsford Parish Council said, “We believe Pedham Place is in the wrong place to meet the housing needs as identified in the Sevenoaks Housing Needs Assessment, specifically for affordable housing and specialist housing for older people. The extraordinary infrastructure costs associated with bringing Pedham Place forward will inevitably ensure affordable housing is unviable. The future housing needs in the North of the Sevenoaks District can be met in part from the current oversupply of homes by Dartford Borough, where the housing targets are likely to be reduced by 10%, and which has a much closer relationship with Farningham, Crockenhill and Eynsford.”

Rachel Waterton, Chair of Crockenhill Parish Council said, “In addition to the proposals for 2500+ new homes, there were also proposals put forward for a stadium within the Crockenhill Parish. Any type of development of this scale, in such proximity to our villages, is simply not feasible and would be disastrous to our rural setting. There are no ‘exceptional circumstances’ or need for such condensed housing or a 28,000-seater stadium within the Sevenoaks District - with the O2, Brands Hatch, the London Golf Course, and the proposed Millwall Training Ground - all being within a 9-mile radius. In these situations, the environmental benefits of rolling green landscape and rich agricultural land are significantly advantageous to our existing residents. Our outlook, in its current state should not be excused as 'previously developed land'. It is part of the Green Belt that we value immensely. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Rob Moorhouse, Associate Director, at Tibbalds said: “Tibbalds are passionate about supporting people friendly places, and we are recognised to be national experts in delivering sustainable new settlements. We agree with Farningham, Eynsford and Crockenhill Parish Councils that Pedham Place is not the right solution to meet Sevenoaks future housing needs as it is in a fundamentally unsustainable location. We intend to help build an evidence base which we hope will help to refocus SDC on a more sustainable distribution of housing such as a greater focus on optimising opportunities on brownfield sites, especially those near the fifteen rail stations within the district.”

The collective Parish Councils spoke at the recent Development and Conservation Advisory Committee meeting to ask that SDC formally withdraw Pedham Place from future local plan considerations as a potential site for a standalone settlement.

Notes to Editor

The proposals are outlined by Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) in their Local Plan 2040 – the planning strategy that determines how the Council aims to meet the future housing needs of the Sevenoaks District.

The proposed boundaries for the new Pedham Place settlement are fully within the Parishes of Farningham Parish Council and Eynsford Parish Council. The scale of development will effectively merge Farningham with neighbouring Eynsford, and proposed development crossing the M25 motorway into the Crockenhill Parish Council area, where the potential WASPS Rugby stadium could be located.

Tibbalds is an award-winning practice of planners, urban designers and place-makers, who were selected as Planning Consultancy of the Year at the annual Planning Awards announced in June 2024. Tibbalds are recognised as leaders in the delivery of people friendly places, and sustainable new communities achieved through excellent community engagement.

Pedham Place is currently a successful golf club offering an 18 and a 9-hole golf courses and a driving range, providing affordable sport access for local residents.