The chaos caused recently in and around Kemsing and Otford by the closure of Pilgrims Way East at the Otford end highlighted just how fragile our local infrastructure is, and how acutely sensitive it is to even minor problems.
As many of you will know, the closure of the road to carry out urgent gas repairs to a single property resulted in three-and-a-half days of severe traffic disruption, with 20-minute journeys taking well over an hour. It is therefore unfathomable to think of the increased pressures our roads will be facing if the scale of housing the Government is seeking to impose on our area will cause.
In urban areas, there is usually a network of alternative routes to absorb disruption. But in our rural communities, there are often no realistic alternatives beyond narrow single-track country lanes, which themselves quickly become gridlocked. This is not a sustainable position and would only be exacerbated by large-scale development.
When a planning inspector considers the Local Plan, no doubt Pilgrims Way East between Otford and Kemsing will appear on paper to be little more than a quiet, narrow country road. However, the recent closure demonstrated just how misleading that assessment would be in practice.
It is simply not feasible to add thousands of additional homes in and around Kemsing and Otford without the whole system grinding to a halt. The same goes for the proposal for around the whole of our district, such as around 2,500 homes in Swanley, 2,500 at Pedham Place, around 1,000 in Hextable, 4,500 in and around Sevenoaks, which includes 1,500 homes primarily within Dunton Green — where Rye Lane shares similarities to Pilgrims Way East as a country lane — and lack of alternative routes being hemmed in by the M26, the railway line and Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. Here such a large development is a recipe for gridlock at the best of times, let alone should there be a road closure.
Earlier this month, I wrote to Sevenoaks District Council urging them to take the lived experience of Pilgrims Way East fully into account when deciding what to include in the Local Plan. Local knowledge matters. Real-world experience matters. Proposals that would place an intolerable and unsustainable strain on our infrastructure should be ruled out. However, I know the pressures council are under from Government.
Yes, we need more homes — but they must be in the right places, with the right infrastructure, and with the support of local communities.
Alongside my parliamentary colleagues, I will continue to oppose further centralisation of local planning control. Decisions about our communities should not be imposed without proper local consent or understanding.
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Below is a snapshot of what I have been working on. If there is anything I can do to support you, please get in touch.
- I was absolutely delighted to hear from Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education confirming that they have now written to the Secretary of State indicating they still wish to proceed with building the new SEND school in Swanley. After months of anxiety for so many families this is fabulous news, and I will now work with the council to ensure the works can start as soon as possible.
- I was very disappointed to hear that Lloyds Bank has confirmed that its Sevenoaks branch is due to close on 18 June 2026. I wrote immediately asking for the bank to reconsider. Sevenoaks has a significant older population, and many residents still rely on face-to-face banking. While for some, online services are convenient, for others they are simply not practical. The nearest Lloyds branch will now be in Tunbridge Wells, which is difficult for many to access. I know that high streets evolve, but essential services should not quietly disappear without proper thought for the communities they serve. If Lloyds refuses to rethink this decision, and for those residents who wish to retain access to in-person banking on the High Street, I have contacted the remaining banks in Sevenoaks that provide face-to-face banking facilities to obtain clear information about the account switching process, which is generally straightforward. Access to face-to-face banking services remains important for many in our community, and I will continue to press this case.
- Following our campaign, support from residents, and a great deal of work with Kent Police, Matthew Scott the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner, Eynsford Parish Council and Sevenoaks District Council, the public consultation on the proposed Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for Riverside, Eynsford and the surrounding areas is now open. This is a big step forward - Riverside is one of the most beautiful parts of our community, but residents have been clear that anti-social behaviour and nuisance parking are causing real disruption. A PSPO would give enhanced powers to deter and tackle these issues effectively, helping to keep it a safe and welcoming space for families, residents and visitors, just like the PSPO has made a real difference at The Vine in Sevenoaks. The consultation closes at midnight on Friday 27 March 2026, so please do get involved here. If approved, the PSPO is expected to come into force this summer – which would be brilliant news. Thank you again to everyone who signed my petition. By working together, we can make a difference.
- The activity taking place around Oak View Stud Farm in Horton Kirby is very worrying, and residents have been right to raise with me issues including unauthorised developments, potential breaches of planning control, untaxed and unlicensed vehicles, and shipping containers being left on the public highway. Working alongside the excellent local Cllr Alan White, I have raised these issues with the local agencies responsible including Kent Police and Sevenoaks District Council for appropriate action to be taken. However, if you spot any activity, please do report it as the more consistently concerns are reported to the responsible authorities, the stronger the case for effective enforcement action. I also recommend residents to sign up to “My Community Voice”, which enables residents to communicate directly with local police officers and receive updates about meetings and policing activity in the area. Persistent breaches of rules cannot simply be ignored. By continuing to report concerns and working together as a community, we can ensure proper action is taken and that Horton Kirby remains a safe, pleasant and well-managed place to live.
- The recent water outage for residents adjacent to Fort Halstead, proved why it is essential that these households are connect to the mains water supply. This had been promised by Thames Water in late 2023, but we are yet to see it happen. I have written to the CEO of Thames Water asking for work on the final connections to be commenced as soon as possible – and by no later than this spring. I have also written to CBRE asking that they highlight to the developers residents’ concerns about security concerns – both in relation to the water supply, and generally around the site. The residents deserve better, and we need action to be taken.
- As many of you that travel between Otford/Swanley and London know, the fast line service which we fought for has been an overwhelming success for local commuters. However, due to its popularity, many rush hour services are now overcrowded. I have persistently asked for more trains and carriages to cope with the high demand, and since the service began, we have seen regular improvements and progress made – but more is still needed. Having been repeatedly told by Southeastern that the challenge is track space into Charing Cross being at capacity, we have discussed the possibility of alternative additional services being put in place. And I am pleased to say that from 17 May there will be additional services into London Blackfriars, which hopefully will help. A service from Otford and Swanley to Blackfriars will depart at 0720 (Otford) and 0730 (Swanley) arriving at London Blackfriars at 0805. Additionally, there will be a further train from Swanley departing at 0801 arriving at London Blackfriars at 0834. These trains should aid travellers who travel onwards from London Bridge toward the west of the City and hopefully will relieve some pressure on the rush hour service to London Bridge. In the evening, a train will leave Blackfriars at 1710 to Swanley (arriving 1745) and a further service at 1744 to Swanley (arriving 18:18) and Otford (arriving 1827). I hope these services will bring some relief to overcrowding. However, I will of course continue to press for improvements on the service terminating at London Charing Cross in future timetable changes.
- I met residents in West Kingsdown who are rightly concerned about the unauthorised development on St Clere Hill Road. I have been in regular contact with Sevenoaks District Council Official about the site and have asked the council to meet with the residents impacted. Such deliberate planning breaches usually begin at weekends when council offices are closed. I have therefore urged the Council to review its contingency plans so that immediate action being taken where necessary. Last year I signed an amendment in the House of Commons that would have made it impossible to secure retrospective planning consent for flagrant unauthorised development. The fight however continues, and I am now making representations to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation so that councils such as ours can take robust enforcement action with greater confidence that subsequent retrospective applications can be refused. No resident should have to deal with the stress and uncertainly of unauthorised developments on their doorstep, and I will continue to do all I can to support those impacted, and well as take steps to try and ensure we put a stop to it once and for all.
- Despite repeated reassurance from Royal Mail, postal deliveries locally have not improved and continue to be unacceptable. The poor service is leading to infrequent deliveries and important mail arriving late (including hospital appointments, bank cards etc). While I continue to raise each incident raised with me with Royal Mail, I have now requested an urgent meeting with the Minister responsible, as the service seems to be worse than ever in certain parts of the constituency. I will not rest until it is resolved.
