Published: Tuesday, 6th January 2026
Thousands of residents took part in Sevenoaks District Council’s latest Local Plan (Regulation 18) consultation.
From 23 October to 11 December 2025, the public were asked to share their views on proposed Local Plan policies and development sites to meet the Government’s new compulsory housing target for the District – a 63% increase on the previous target. They were also asked for their opinions on the Government’s new designation of ‘Grey Belt’ in the District.
Around 5,000 people and organisations took part.
A total of 1,150 people also attended 30 face-to-face ‘Pop-up’ sessions that took place at 10 locations across the District where Council staff were on hand to answer questions.
The Council will publish all the Local Plan comments (without address information) on its website later in the New Year.
All the comments will then be analysed and considered before the Council publishes a final draft of the Local Plan in summer 2026 for further public comments (called the Regulation 19 Publication). This version of the Local Plan will be submitted to Government for examination by the end of 2026.
Cllr Nigel Williams, Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet Member for Development & Infrastructure, says: “I want to thank the thousands of residents who gave up their time to take part in our recent Local Plan consultation.
“The next steps will be to ensure all the comments are captured on to our system before we start the analysis early in the New Year.
“Our priority is to protect the District as best we can, whilst delivering the homes that local people and their families need. This is despite the very challenging task of meeting outrageous Government housing targets along with its unforgivable abolition of many of our Green Belt protections.
“The final decision relating to the Local Plan will rest with the Government’s Planning Inspector.”
The Local Plan will guide how development will occur between 2027 and 2042 and lists potential development sites to meet the Government’s significantly increased housing targets for the Sevenoaks District.
The Government has instructed Sevenoaks District Council to identify land for 1,145 new homes every year, a 63% increase on the current housing target.
While the new Local Plan proposes making the best use of sites within existing built-up areas, the Government has said councils should consider ‘Grey Belt’ sites, in broad terms land which now fails to meet one of three national purposes of the Green Belt, or already developed Green Belt land, provided it is in the most sustainable locations, to meet the housing target.
Failing to meet the housing target could lead to the Local Plan being refused by Planning Inspectors. This would leave the District open to piecemeal development, which makes it harder for infrastructure providers to holistically consider the impact of new housing development on their services.
The Local Plan includes sites, spread across a broad range of settlements in the District, to meet the Government’s housing target in full, including much-needed affordable homes. All the sites that are under consideration have been put forward by landowners and developers.
The Council has assessed the sites against local and national planning criteria.
The Council will also review the emerging proposals from central Government, in terms of the consultation on the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which runs until 10 March 2026.
As well as new homes, the Local Plan includes proposals to support the economy by protecting business space and high streets and the provision of new infrastructure such as schools, shops, health centres and improved local transport.
The new Local Plan will also protect the overwhelming majority of the Green Belt and the District’s environment and unique and special character.
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