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Tonbridge and Malling issues new Call For Sites for housing suggestions

Tonbridge and Malling council has launched a new Call For Sites as its starts again on its Local Plan process.

The council had prepared one Local Plan to guide development in the borough until 2031, but had its ideas thrown back at it because government inspectors believed the council had not sufficiently consulted with neighbouring boroughs – a requirement of the planning process.

Tonbridge and Malling council is starting again
Tonbridge and Malling council is starting again

The council fought the decision for a while, but eventually accepted the inevitable and decided to start again on a new Local Plan.

During the two-year delay, the housing targets which the government sets for the borough have been ramped up and Tonbridge and Malling is now looking to find room for 15,102 new homes in a plan that now runs until 2039.

The number of homes it is supposed to see built in the borough has jumped by 21% from 696 to 839 per year.

The Call For Sites is an invitation to developers and landowners to submit sites for inclusion in the new Local Plan. They could be for housing, or for other land uses such s retail, manufacturing or gypsy sites.

A spokesman said: "Its purpose is to identify a range of suitable, available, and deliverable sites that can help meet the development needs of the borough up to 2039."

Cabinet member Cllr David Lettington (Con)
Cabinet member Cllr David Lettington (Con)

He said: "Landowners, developers and other people with an interest in the use and development of land are invited to submit sites for assessment. All sites will be assessed equally."

Suggestions are being invited online and details will have to be provided of the land ownership, its potential use and its exact location.

Cllr David Lettington, the cabinet member for strategic planning and infrastructure, said: "The Call for Sites is just the beginning of a lengthy process to determine the options for future development in the borough.

"The fact that sites have been put forward does not mean that they will necessarily be allocated for development.

"Once sites have been identified and assessed, a public consultation will take place on the Local Plan to determine the best route for meeting local needs for housing, sustaining economic growth and improvements to local infrastructure."

Some homes are already in the pipeline
Some homes are already in the pipeline

The council already has 2,700 homes in the pipeline, but needs to find plots for the rest.

The invitation is open for eight weeks until 5pm on February 7, next year.

Visit here for details.

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