As Chronicle Readers will be well aware, the draft Local Plan (known as the Regulation 19 Local Plan), which sets out how Sevenoaks District Council will meet the Government’s ridiculous mandatory target of more than 17,000 new homes across the Sevenoaks District has now been published, and residents will be able to comment on its proposals from 23 July until 17 September 2026.
The important point to understand is that responses at this stage will not be considered by local councillors. Instead, they will be submitted directly to the independent Planning Inspector, who will examine the Plan.
This is therefore an opportunity for all of us to make representations directly to the Inspector on the deliverability of the Plan and on individual sites. Residents can raise issues such as site constraints, heritage, landscape and ecology, access, transport capacity and viability. You can also ask to appear at the examination and present your case in person.
I will continue to liaise with resident groups, to discuss the best way of providing a co-ordinated response and the possibility of obtaining expert planning assistance - where appropriate - to make the case for sites to be excluded or the scale of development to be reduced.
When I recently met senior district council officers and the relevant Cabinet Member to discuss the Local Plan, I also raised the importance of providing clear answers to residents’ frequently asked questions. I am therefore pleased that the Council has published a comprehensive FAQs document to help explain the process – which you can find on their website, or my Facebook page.
This is a particularly important stage in the process. The Regulation 19 document asks a series of set questions about whether the Plan is legally compliant and whether it is “sound”. It also gives residents the opportunity to suggest modifications. The Planning Inspector will assess the Plan against four tests of soundness – details regarding these tests can be found in the FAQs
To make sure you have your say on the plan, visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/emerginglocalplan. You can also complete a paper response form available from local libraries, town and parish council offices, and Sevenoaks District Council offices or by emailing [email protected]
I know feelings are running high and it is no secret that I remain firmly opposed to building on Green Belt land unless there is clear public support. Local residents do not want to see this amount of Green Belt lost, and I also know our district councillors don’t want to either – and have been placed in an extremely difficult position by the Government’s insistence on such a high mandatory housing target.
With recent events in mind, I would encourage everyone to keep the debate respectful. People will hold different views, but we are all seeking the best possible future for our communities.
Finally, and ahead of the summer holidays for many across our community, I wanted to provide an update on the work I have been doing with Go Bus (formerly Go Coach), Sevenoaks District Seniors Action Forum and Age UK to persuade Reform-led Kent County Council to introduce a direct bus service between Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury.
As part of that campaign, I launched a petition which hundreds of residents signed, demonstrating the strength of feeling across our community about the need for a better public transport connection to the hospital.
I have now written to Peter Osborne, Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, enclosing the petition and asking that the clear public support for this proposal is given full consideration when a decision is made on awarding the route.
A direct bus service would make it much easier for patients, visitors and NHS staff to travel between Sevenoaks and Pembury Hospital, particularly those without access to a car. It would also provide a simpler and more reliable journey for many elderly and vulnerable residents attending appointments.
Thank you again to everyone who signed the petition and supported this campaign. I will continue pressing for this much-needed service and will keep residents updated as soon as I receive a response from Kent County Council.
