One resident said pressure on school spaces meant some children were being home educated until a place became available
A planning application has been submitted for a new village of 770 homes and a primary school on green belt near a tight-knit town in Kent.
Crest Nicholson’s new settlement near Paddock Wood would also have a three-pitch Gypsy/traveller site, land set aside for a four-form entry secondary school, and a centre which could include shops.
It said it “anticipated” the site, which lies on the border of Paddock Wood and Capel parish, would be released from green belt designation on adoption of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s local plan.
Crest Nicholson said in its application: “A Garden City is a holistically planned new settlement that enhances the natural environment and offers high-quality affordable housing and locally accessible work in beautiful, healthy and sociable communities. The proposed development at Paddock Wood will respond to current challenges and ensure a lasting legacy.”
It said the estate would have allotments, and/or a community food growing space, along with play spaces and sports facilities. The new homes are planned for 222 acres, or, 89.92 hectares, of farmland in Capel and Paddock Wood – that’s the size of around 140 standard football pitches. The number of homes is now up to 770, and not the earlier figure of up to 800.
The proposed new settlement which KentLive first reported on during November 2024, is west of Paddock Wood, and would lie in the River Medway’s floodplain. There would be a mix of housing types and sizes, including affordable, although this number or percentage is not stated.
But residents have said the area can not cope with more homes, saying some children are being taught at home due to lack of school places.
They also said they endure long waits for dentist and GP appointments, the roads are nearing or have reached capacity, public transport is not good enough, green space is being lost and the town’s “Victorian sewerage system” is at capacity, with recent flooding.
Paddock Wood is in the borough of Tunbridge Wells and around seven miles from the town itself.
As KentLive reported, the tight-knit market town is seeing thousands of homes built, with schemes finished, underway or on their way through planning applications. Town council chairperson Carol Williams told us in September, Paddock Wood was “going to increase in new homes in 20 years by more than 100 per cent”.
Under the Crest Nicholson plan, land would also be “safeguarded” for a four-form entry secondary school, with scope to expand to six-form entry. The A228 creates a boundary to the west of the site, with Maidstone Road adjacent to the east. There are also hedgerows, water courses and trees along the site’s boundaries. All but one of the 10 fields are north of the railway line.
One resident of Nursery Road in Paddock Wood said in part of their recent objection: “Schools are oversubscribed, with families forced to home-school children until places become available. The NHS is overstretched, and no realistic plan has been provided for staffing or funding new facilities.
Public transport is insufficient: buses are infrequent, trains overcrowded, and station car parks full. The area is a known flood risk, acknowledged by Kent County Council, yet developers dismiss residents’ concerns.”
And they raised as a red flag the issue of water contamination and shortage in nearby Tunbridge Wells: “The recent incident with SE Water in Tunbridge Wells, where contamination left residents without safe water for days, demonstrates how fragile our infrastructure already is. Adding hundreds of new homes in Paddock Wood will only increase demand on an overstretched system.”
On the matter of water, a resident of Mount Pleasant in Paddock Wood in his objection to the development, recently asked a raft of questions, including: “Where is the mitigation for the extra household water supply required – we are already regularly in drought conditions?” and “Where is the mitigation of the regular flash flooding from Tudeley Brook?”
Crest Nicholson says in part of its page on flooding: “Although the residential platforms are located in Flood Zone 1, a mitigation strategy is proposed, incorporating a wetland area to the north of the development. This measure ensures the long-term safety for the lifetime of the development while preventing any increase in flood risk off-site.”
And here: “The surface water drainage strategy will be developed in consultation with the Upper Midway Internal Drainage Board (UMIDB), Kent County Council as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.”
Highlighting Paddock Wood’s employment and economy, Crest Nicholson says in its application: “Paddock Wood’s economic context is characterized by its strategic location, robust transport links, and a mix of commercial and industrial activities.
“Historically, the town developed as a key transport hub due to the convergence of three railway lines. It hosts several industrial estates at Eldon Way and Transfesa Road, which support local employment and generate economic activity.
“The presence of these industrial areas, along with a variety of commercial establishments many along Commercial Road, underscores Paddock Wood’s role as a local economic centre.”
KentLive has contacted Crest Nicholson for comment.
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