PRESS RELEASE: Recommendations arising from Sevenoaks Town Council's STNP / Masterplan Working Group
Published: 22 April 2025
Sevenoaks Town Council continues to monitor the activity of its Neighbourhood Development Plan, in order to assess how it is being used and in particular, applied to planning applications, and how this could be improved in order to get the most action delivered by its policies.
Aside from a marked increase in the STNP’s application in Planning Officer appraisals of local development proposals, a further and notable example of previous action that has arisen from this exercise is the adoption of a new practice by Sevenoaks District Council’s Planning Officers, where they agreed to cite the Neighbourhood Plan’s policies in addition to their own, in support of planning conditions placed on an application’s approval.
It is considered that the promotion of the STNP as a positive influence on future development is essential to delivering the 20 year vision and objectives of the STNP, for a thriving Sevenoaks which continues to celebrate its heritage while leading the way in modernity, cultural offer and environmental standards.
The most recent recommendations arising from the monitoring of the STNP’s application, and proposed by its overseeing Working Group comprised of local representatives and Town Councillors, are the following. - For Sevenoaks Town Council’s Planning & Environment Committee members to consider Policy D6, which promotes retrofitting homes to improve their energy efficiency, when making recommendations on applications that propose to deliver this – namely, air source heat pumps and solar panels.
- That members also consider Policy E5, which promotes the improvement or enhancement of the function of neighbourhood centres – including the secondary shopping centre located in St John’s – in order to raise its profile and encourage further proposals to improve the neighbourhood centre
- For STC to propose an amendment to its Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Policy L1, which requires developers to deliver 10% BNG as part of their proposals and which preceded the national requirement for this, to stipulate that this must be delivered within the Town boundary in the first instance.
- For STC to request training from SDC on Design Review Panels, in order to gain a better understanding of how they work, and how the process can be activated to achieve the best quality designs for significant local developments
It is the Town Council’s hope that, by actioning the above recommendations, encouraging the increased use of the STNP’s policies, and raising its profile, future development proposals will start to be designed in response to its contents, and will be purposefully reflective of the vision and values of the STNP.
Full copy of the STNP, as well as a shorter summary document is available via the following website:
https://sevenoaksndp.wordpress.com/ To view the monitoring reports of the STNP, as well as Agendas and Minutes of its Working Group and its annual reports, please view the below webpage:
https://www.sevenoakstown.gov.uk/STNP__Masterplan_Working_Group_45836.aspx If you have any queries, please contact:
Georgie Elliston
planning@sevenoakstown.gov.uk
22/04/2025