Councillors have decided that Tonbridge and Malling’s draft Local Plan should not proceed to its next stage of consultation, amid concerns over whether the borough has sufficient water infrastructure to support the Government’s housing requirements.
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has paused progress on its draft Local Plan following a Full Council meeting on Thursday 3 September.
Councillors decided that the plan should not proceed to a Regulation 19 consultation in its current form, with water supply and wider infrastructure capacity at the centre of concerns raised during the meeting.
The council said officers will now consider the reasons for Full Council’s decision and assess the implications for the Local Plan timetable.
The Government will also be informed of the decision and its impact on the preparation of the borough’s Local Plan.
At this stage, the council says it is not known whether a Regulation 19 consultation will take place or when it might be scheduled.
Water capacity at the heart of the decision
Council Leader Cllr Matt Boughton said members recognised the significant work that had gone into preparing the draft plan, but remained concerned about whether the infrastructure needed to support the proposed level of growth was available.
“Members have decided that the draft Local Plan should not proceed to Regulation 19 consultation in its current form,” he said.
“Members recognised the significant work undertaken to prepare the plan, but concerns remain about water supply and wider infrastructure capacity to support the level of growth required.”
In a statement on his Facebook account on the 4th September Cllr Boughton gave an indication of the scale of the gap between the borough’s water capacity and the housing requirement being imposed on the council.
He said South East Water’s Planning Position and Options Statement states that there is capacity for an additional 317 homes per year across the borough.
By comparison, Cllr Boughton said the Government was requiring Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to find sites for 1,097 homes per year in order to progress with the Local Plan.
That represents a difference of 780 homes per year between the figures cited by the council leader.
Cllr Boughton said: “Councillors from all parties (other than the Lib Dems) lacked sufficient confidence in the capacity of our water infrastructure to supply the number of homes the Government requires in the Local Plan.”
He said he would be writing to the Government to urge it to work with the council to find a way of progressing the Local Plan which recognises the borough’s water supply challenges.
He also said the council would continue working with infrastructure providers to gather the evidence needed before determining the next steps.
Questions over what happens without a Local Plan
The decision has been welcomed by some residents commenting on Cllr Boughton’s Facebook post.
One resident thanked the council and said they finally felt they were being heard, while also raising concerns about food security and development on farmland.
Others highlighted concerns about highways, sewage and water supply.
Several commenters also raised questions about the implications of the council not progressing the Local Plan.
One resident questioned whether stopping the plan could leave the borough more exposed to future planning applications, pointing to the significant gap between the 317-home water capacity figure and the 1,097-home housing requirement.
The commenter also questioned whether the council might have been better protected by progressing the Local Plan while continuing to press the Government and South East Water over the infrastructure gap.
Another resident asked how the council would deal with future planning applications if there is no Local Plan in place, raising the possibility that developers could continue to bring forward proposals.
These comments highlight one of the key questions now facing the council: what are the consequences for planning decisions in Tonbridge and Malling while the Local Plan’s future is reconsidered?
Calls for stronger role for water companies
The discussion has also renewed calls for water companies to have a stronger role in the planning process.
One resident responding to Cllr Boughton called for changes to the National Planning Policy Framework so that water authorities and highways authorities become mandatory statutory consultees.
Another commenter referred to comments made by South East Water’s new leadership about the company’s ability to provide the infrastructure required for development, and welcomed the council’s decision to pause the Local Plan.
The issue of water infrastructure has therefore emerged as a central part of the debate over how — and where — Tonbridge and Malling should accommodate future growth.
What happens next?
For now, the Local Plan timetable is uncertain.
Council officers will assess the reasons for Thursday’s decision and its implications before the council determines the next steps.
Cllr Boughton said he would be approaching the Government about the water supply challenges facing the borough.
The council has also said it will continue working with infrastructure providers to gather the evidence required before deciding how to proceed.
There is currently no confirmed date for a Regulation 19 consultation.
The council says updates will be published on its Local Plan webpages as the situation develops.
The decision follows the latest stage in a process that has been closely watched across Tonbridge and Malling, including over the scale of housing growth proposed for the borough.
As the council considers its next move, the central question remains whether the Government’s housing requirements can be reconciled with the infrastructure available to support them.
The Tonbridge Bean will continue to follow developments around the Local Plan, water infrastructure and the council’s discussions with Government.
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council Local Plan updates
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