Sevenoaks District Council’s (SDC) new draft Local Plan is now at the public consultation stage (Regulation 18). The Plan contains policies and priorities which will guide what can be built, and where, over the next 18 years.
This stage only includes non-Green Belt sites put forward for development, and so does not include any sites in Fawkham. Any sites in Fawkham or the adjoining Green Belt will be included in a second “Regulation 18” consultation on Green Belt sites, which is expected to take place next autumn.
We know that SDC is under pressure to meet Government housing targets – the target is 13,566 by 2040. The non-Green Belt sites identified can accommodate between 1,277 and 2,173 houses (depending on density). Taking into account planning permissions already granted, plus all those under consideration, and a ‘windfall’ allowance for further applications each year, a shortfall of 4,500 to 6,000 houses remains. We will not know how much of this shortfall SDC will propose to meet through development in the Green Belt until next autumn. SDC may propose to the Planning Inspector a figure below the housing target, arguing that being 93% Green Belt makes it impossible to meet it in full. However, it seems likely that there will need to be a considerable number of houses allocated within the Green Belt.
How to respond:
The consultation runs until 11th January. Fawkham Parish Council will be responding to this consultation, and the second one next year, and members of the public can do so too. We will publish our response; you may wish to see this before submitting your own response.
There two routes to respond:
- A short survey which contains a focused selection of key questions.
- A full survey which covers every policy area in the plan.
You may answer as many or as few of the questions they contain.
You can view and comment on the Plan 2040 document at www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/plan2040, where you will also find a consultation video and a downloadable version of the Plan 2040 Summary pamphlet.
Further details:
Call for Sites
A new “call for sites” has taken place, although what sites in the Green Belt have been put forward by landowners and which of these SDC proposes to allocate for development is not yet known. As part of SDC’s previous draft Local Plan in 2018/19, “call for sites” bids were made by various landowners in the Parish. These were to provide for housing and mixed use development of varying size (from 31 to up to c.800 dwellings) on land in the Green Belt. Two sites within Fawkham Parish were included in that draft Local Plan: Fawkham Business Park and Grange Park Farm, with 31 and 33 dwellings respectively.
In addition, farmland east of Fawkham/Valley Road and west of Banckside in Hartley, known as “Forty Acre field”, and land at Gay Dawn Farm/Corinthian Sports Club/ Golf Course in Fawkham and Hartley, were also put forward for large-scale housing development. This last proposal, known as MX52/53, resulted in SDC receiving nearly 2,000 comments and there was much local opposition, including from both Fawkham and Hartley Parish Councils, and the proposal was not successful in gaining inclusion in that draft Local Plan.
Existing planning permissions in Fawkham
Since the previous draft plan, planning permission has been granted for 26 dwellings at Salts Farm depot and 26 dwellings on the site of the former Fawkham Manor hospital. These two developments will see the number of dwellings in the Parish grow by 22%.
SDC drop-in sessions to find out more about this stage of the draft Local Plan
SDC’s Strategic Planning team is running a series of drop-in events to help explain the Plan 2040 consultation and answer any questions you may have on the Plan. No appointment is necessary and you are welcome to attend any of the following sessions:
- Wednesday 30 November 2022, 2.30-5pmand 30-8pm(Edenbridge Leisure Centre, Stangrove Park, Edenbridge, TN8 5LU)
- Tuesday 6 December 2022, 2.30-5pmand 30-8pm (Sevenoaks District Council Offices, Argyle Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1HG)
- Thursday 8 December 2022, 2.30-5pmand 30-8pm (The Alexandra Suite, St Mary’s Road, Swanley, BR8 7BU)
- Wednesday 4 January 2022, 2.30-5pm and 30-8pm(Online Zoom Drop in Session)
