Sevenoaks Town Council welcomes recommendation for retaining “Royal Oak” name on Sevenoaks High Street

Published: 29 July 2025

Sevenoaks Town Council, as well as various Town and District Councillors, members of the public and representatives of the Sevenoaks Society, have been lobbying Sevenoaks District Council (SDC) to retain the Royal Oak Hotel’s namesake for the new apartments being created through its conversion. SDC had recently approved the apartment block’s renaming as ‘Hanover House’, to replace the hotel’s former name. The loss of the prominent name of Royal Oak Hotel had been received by Town Councillors with surprise and disappointment, due to its historic significance and landmark status within the Town and of its heritage.

 

An update on the lobbying efforts was received by the Town Council’s Planning & Environment Committee last night. Sevenoaks Town Council is pleased to report – albeit with cautious optimism until official notification is received – that progress appears to have finally been made, with Officers from Sevenoaks District Council having informally confirmed that they are both, a) supportive in principle of SDC Cllr Purves’ alternative suggestion of “The Old Royal Oak” and b) in discussions with the developer whose responsibility it would be to formally submit a new house naming application.

Support for the suggestion of “The Old Royal Oak” was forwarded to the District Council by Mayor of Sevenoaks and Town Councillor, Cllr Tony Clayton on 16th July 2025, and Sevenoaks Town Council now awaits with hopeful anticipation, notification as to whether a new naming application has been put forwards by the developer and approved by the District Council in the near future.

Background to the recommendation

In July 2024, planning permission was granted by SDC in its capacity as the Local Planning Authority, for the Royal Oak Hotel on Sevenoaks High Street to be converted into six apartments with an attached dwelling.

On 20th March 2025, the Town Council subsequently received notification that the main building in which the six new apartments would be housed was to be renamed “Hanover House”, with its attached townhouse to be named “Dolling House”.

Written correspondence has since been shared between the Town Council, at request of the Planning & Environment Committee, as well as a number of Town and District Council Councillors and members of the public with District Council Officers, urging the decision to be overturned and alternative names that would retain the historic significance of the Royal Oak Hotel to be explored.

The grounds for the District Council’s initial rejection of a name which retained the Royal Oak Hotel’s namesake, as reportedly proposed by the developer during earlier naming discussions, was potential confusion for emergency vehicles and delivery drivers between the proposed new Royal Oak apartments and the adjoining property whose name also incorporates the name “Royal Oak”.

It is hoped however, that the new clarification of the “Old” Royal Oak will dispel the concerns of Kent Fire and Rescue service as well as Royal Mail – both of whom are consulted on all address changes – and will be met with their support, so that progress can be made.

A report which provides further details on the background and progress on this recommendation to date can be found via the Planning & Environment Agenda papers for 28th July 2025 on pages 21-22.