Edenbridge Town Council has formally submitted its response to Sevenoaks District Council’s Draft Local Plan as part of the Regulation 18 (phase 3) consultation, which ran until 11 December 2025. This follows careful review of the proposals over recent months and advice from a planning consultant, as well as engagement with residents.
Full response
Town Council response to Regulation 18 (Part 3) – December 2025
Edenbridge Infrastructure Delivery Plan (Proposal to support growth proposed within the Regulation 18 (phase 3) Local Plan)
Summary – what the submission covers
The Town Council’s submission includes:
- Detailed comments on the 17 proposed site allocations that affect Edenbridge.
- Feedback on the wider planning policies in the draft Local Plan that have direct relevance to Edenbridge’s character, infrastructure and future development.
- Evidence-based responses to more than 60 policy areas, with additional comments on 20 policies where the Council felt further clarification or safeguards were necessary.
- Town Council positions on infrastructure needs to support planned growth, as set out in the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP).
Representing local views
To ensure the Town Council’s response genuinely reflected local views, councillors held five public drop-in sessions over a five-week period. These events enabled residents to:
- Learn about the proposals in the draft Plan.
- Ask questions about what they mean for Edenbridge.
- Share their own views and concerns.
- Learn how to formally submit their view to Sevenoaks District Council.
Details of these events were widely circulated, with leaflets delivered to around 4,500 homes and promotion via social media and noticeboards.
Key themes in the Town Council’s response
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Scale and distribution of development
The Town Council recognises that some new housing and development is likely necessary, but it objects to the scale of growth proposed for Edenbridge, which it considers excessive and not justified by local infrastructure capacity.
Councillors also raised concerns that the current distribution of growth gives Edenbridge a disproportionately high share compared with other towns in the district, placing additional pressure on local roads, services and community facilities.
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Housing site allocations
While the Council supports some smaller, sensitively located developments – particularly brownfield sites within the existing settlement boundary – it opposes several larger Green Belt allocations, including sites at:
- Crouch House Road
- Lingfield Road
- Breezehurst Farm
- Swan Lane
- Seven Acre Farm and others
Each objection is detailed in the Town Council’s submission and includes specific reasons why these sites are considered unsuitable in their current form.
Where the Council supports a site in principle, comments include clear caveats on design, parking, flood risk and infrastructure requirements needed to make development acceptable.
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Infrastructure needs
Responding to the draft Plan without addressing infrastructure would be incomplete. The Town Council’s Infrastructure Delivery Plan highlights existing constraints and outlines the infrastructure required for growth, including:
- Transport and highways upgrades, including safer access to rail stations and junction improvements.
- Flood mitigation and drainage strategies.
- Utilities and services upgrades such as water, sewage and power capacity.
- Education and healthcare facilities, including early delivery of a secondary school and expanded medical centre.
- Community and leisure provision, including enhancements to Edenbridge Leisure Centre, youth facilities and wider public spaces.
- Digital infrastructure, with a focus on future-proof broadband and mobile coverage.
The IDP makes clear that significant investment and binding delivery commitments will be needed through planning obligations (such as S106 agreements) before substantial development can be sustainably accommodated.
What happens next?
Sevenoaks District Council will now consider all submissions received during the Regulation 18 (phase 3) consultation before preparing the next version of the Local Plan. The Town Council has stated its willingness to continue engaging with the District Council as the plan progresses.
Background
Fur further information on the Local Plan and past consultations visit: Sevenoaks District Local Plan – Edenbridge Town Council