PRESS RELEASE: Sevenoaks Town Council seeks clarity on Local Plan feedback and next steps

Published: 18 March 2026

On 16th March 2026, Sevenoaks Town Council’s Planning & Environment Committee reviewed the feedback summaries published by Sevenoaks District Council following consultation on its draft Local Plan.

Members welcomed the inclusion of many of the Town Council’s comments within the policy and allocation summaries. They also expressed hope that their suggested amendments will be reflected in the next iteration of the Local Plan, ahead of its Regulation 19 consultation.

However, the Committee raised concerns about inconsistencies between the reports, noting that, while the policies report includes much-welcomed feedback from the Policy team on how issues raised will be addressed, no equivalent commentary is provided in the allocations report.

The Town Council has therefore written to the District Council’s Planning Policy team to seek clarification as to how key concerns relating to proposed allocation sites will be reflected. This includes issues such as flooding, Green Belt and Natural Landscape loss, and infrastructure provision. The Town Council also highlighted that 71% of respondents opposed both housing options presented during the consultation, with Committee Members having expressed belief that this had not been fully recognised or addressed in the published reports.

Sevenoaks Town Council has emphasised the need for clear reassurance to residents on how their feedback will be taken into account and looks forward to seeing how this is reflected in the next draft of the Local Plan.

Background:

Published as part of the Development & Infrastructure Advisory Committee agenda papers on 5th March 2026, Sevenoaks District Council has released three high-level reports summarising the feedback received on its draft Local Plan. Consulted upon between October and December 2025, the draft Local Plan explored two potential options for delivering its housing targets, as set out by Central Government. The key difference between the two options was inclusion or exclusion or Pedham Place (to be a standalone settlement), with the exclusionary option falling short of the required housing numbers and the inclusionary option providing a modest buffer.

The feedback reports are divided into responses relating to policies, proposed allocation sites (for housing and employment), and the Plan’s supporting evidence base.

Following the Regulation 18 public consultation, Sevenoaks District Council is now revising its draft Local Plan ahead of the next stage, Regulation 19. The revised Plan is expected to be published for consultation in summer 2026, followed by formal submission to the Planning Inspectorate by 31st December 2026.




If you have any queries, please contact:
Georgie Elliston
planning@sevenoakstown.gov.uk
18/03/2026