Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question not answered here, please contact us and we will look to add it to our frequently asked questions.

‘Save our Heath Lands’ (SOHL) is an action group of local residents in Lenham and surrounding villages set up to fight Maidstone Borough Council’s proposals to build a new town in Lenham Heath for over 5,000 homes. We represent the local community and provide a united voice in opposition to these proposals.

Maidstone Borough Council has identified Lenham Heath as the location for its new Garden Community scheme. They are currently proposing a new town with 5,000 homes, two primary schools, a railway station and a commercial/retail centre.

The land identified is north of the railway and towards the A20.  The identified site is currently made up of multiple different landowners. The principal (largest) landowners are currently in negotiations with Maidstone Council to see if they can agree on terms on which a planning application could be submitted.

 

Garden Communities are part of a national government initiative to deliver large scale new developments that will create well-planned, sustainable places for people to live. They are purpose built new settlements, or large extensions to an existing town. They are expected to have their own identity, attractive environment and provide a mix of homes including affordable and self-build. A key requirement is that they are to be planned by local authorities or by the private sector in consultation with the local community. More detail on the Government’s initiative can be found here.

Maidstone Council is required to increase housebuilding across the borough each year. It maintains that it has no alternative but to find large sites for new houses, however, the formula used to calculate the total number of homes per year is based on an outdated population growth estimate from 2014. We believe the Council is overestimating the housing need for the borough.

Furthermore, the political leadership at Maidstone Council have been protecting the south of the borough from development at the expense of locations on the Ashford and Medway boundaries.

Heathlands has been in development for the last five years and included in the draft Maidstone Local Plan which underwent examination between 2022 and 2024. The Inspector found the plan sound and the Council adopted the new Local Plan on 20th March 2024.

Maidstone Council has spent in excess of £1.5m to date of council taxpayers money funding the development’s plans.

A site allocation in the Local Plan paves the way for the promoter to submit an outline planning application next. We expect Maidstone Council to do this in 2025/26.

There are many hurdles for the promoter to overcome before they can submit a planning application.

 

The Council has no planning permission yet nor is the land in question acceptable land to grant permission for housing on currently.

The Planning Inspector’s examination of the Local Plan required Maidstone Council to push back the completion of the home t0 2031, subject to planning permission.

The project would take more than 20 years to complete.

 

We are working swiftly to look to quash the adoption of the new Maidstone Local Plan. We need to move fast to ensure that we have the funds needed to legally challenge – which could cost around £40,000.

SOHL has set up a ‘fighting fund’, please help us by donating what you can.

 

Keep up to date on the action we are taking via our website and on our social media channels:

Facebook: Save Our Heath Lands
Twitter: @SOHeathLands
Instagram: @SOHeathLands

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