Sevenoaks Town Council regrets District Council’s decision not to register Hollybush Recreation Ground in FULL as an Asset of Community Value

Published: 17 October 2025

Sevenoaks Town Council submitted a nomination for the Hollybush Recreation Ground – including its associated formal and informal sporting facilities and nearby field linking to Knole Park – to be registered as an Asset of Community Value on 30th July 2025, with a decision now having been made by the Local Planning Authority, Sevenoaks District Council. While partly successful, the District Council has opted to remove the central disused bowling green, council depot and two adjoining woodland parcels from the registration, on the grounds that Officers do not consider them to meet the registration criteria – being that an asset’s main use now or in the recent past has furthered the social wellbeing or cultural, recreational, or sporting of the local community.

This decision has been reached despite Sevenoaks Town Council having objected to the District Council’s initial proposal to remove the four parcels (pictured beneath), based on its strong belief that, whilst some parts might not be accessible, they still contribute towards the biodiversity and visual amenity of the park, creating natural boundaries in some areas and certainly contributing towards its functionality, diverse offering and overall enjoyment as a whole.

Sevenoaks Town Council has communicated as such to the District Council, with a structured and detailed argument that Hollybush Recreation Ground should be registered in its entirety as an Asset of Community Value. Evidence within the Town Council’s submission included, but was not limited to:

• The Town Council’s prior submission of its aspirations to reintegrate the disused bowling green into active use and explore opportunities for biodiversity enhancement at Hollybush. This was via a Business Case produced in support of its community asset transfer request, with the potential projects explored being a community orchard, allotment, enhanced green space or an extension to the play area with a shaded play or waterpark area.
• Record of repeated requests dating back to 2020 by the Hollybush Residents Association (HRA), lobbying the District Council to repurpose the disused bowling green.
• Professionally commissioned plans for the disused bowling green submitted by the HRA, demonstrating public appetite and including viable proposals such as a ring of blossoms or extension to the children’s play area.
• Evidenced past-use of the bowling green and realistic proposals for its reuse, meeting the legal requirements for a Community Asset registration.
• Amenity and biodiversity value of the three green sites, and contribution by all four parcels towards the wider recreational, mental wellbeing and social value of Hollybush Recreation Ground.
• Legal covenant preventing any part of the grounds in being utilised for a purpose other than recreation or supporting this use.

The District Council’s final decision was received on 14th October 2025, with confirmation that Hollybush Recreation Ground and the adjacent Knole-access field (pictured below, minus the hatched areas) have now been successfully registered as Assets of Community Value, with the omission of the above four detailed parcels.

 

Although there is a right to request a review of the Council’s decision, this is restricted solely to the owner of the asset – being Sevenoaks District Council itself.