Almost 200 homes on the edge of a Kent village have been given the green light.
Two separate applications for housing on the edge of Pembury, near Tunbridge Wells, have been approved.
Developers Obsidian Strategic first applied to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) for planning permission for the Hubbles Farm site in Pembury in August 2024, seeking to build 99 homes.
The site, just off Hastings Road, sits entirely within the High Weald National Landscape, and is about 400 metres east of the centre of Pembury itself.
In documents submitted with their application, the developers say: “Whilst currently designated green belt land, the site has been assessed and considered to not make a strong contribution to any of the purposes of the green belt and proposed to be removed.”
They also stressed that the development would “provide much-needed affordable homes within Pembury,” with 40 of the 99 earmarked to be sold as affordable housing.
In December 2024, the Vistry Group applied for permission to build 87 homes to the South and West of Hastings Road, adjacent to Obsidian’s application for 99 houses.
Of the 87 homes at Vistry’s proposed development, 35 are slated to be affordable as well.
TWBC’s planning committee met earlier this week to make the final call on both applications in a room packed with residents and objectors.
Planning officers were recommending that councillors approve both of the bids.
Objecting to Obsidian’s bid for 99 homes, resident Peter Bruce said the development would “risk pushing our infrastructure beyond breaking point,” citing traffic and the recent water problems in the district.
“Must we put our names to this ill thought out copy and paste application?” he added.
Cllr Lester Young, of Pembury Parish Council, expressed similar concerns, saying “infrastructure improvements must be confirmed, approved and commenced before construction takes place”.
During the debate on Wednesday night (March 11), Cllr Hugo Pound (Lab) spoke positively of the 99 home scheme.
He said: “I think we need to bite the bullet and recognise that we’re not in control of everything and if we’re going to improve Pembury and Tunbridge Wells we need to realise that we need housing, we need development because with it comes the money to do the things that we need to do.”
The 99 homes bid includes a total of £1.2million to be contributed to local services, and the 87 homes bid includes £1.1m as Section 106 funding, which developers provide to local authorities to mitigate the impact of new development.
Obsidian’s application for 99 homes was approved with six votes in favour, two against and one abstention.
On the bid for 87 homes, Jonathan Buckwell of DHA Planning consultants told the committee: “This is a site that’s been discussed with TWBC for the last nine years in a lot of detail, it was allocated in the local plan.
“There is an urgent need for housing nationally and locally – Tunbridge Wells and Pembury is no exception.”
He added: “I grew up in Pembury so I know how little development there has been relative to the rest of the borough.”
However, Cllr David Hayward (Independent) was critical of both developments, saying “we’re being held to ransom with the Section 106 money”.
Vestry’s 87-home estate was also approved with six votes in favour, two against and one abstention.
The application for 99 homes is only an outline permission, which gives consent in principle for the homes to be built on the site and for the works necessary to access it.
It means that future detailed planning applications will be needed to decide on the exact design and layout of the estate.
However, Vestry’s bid for 87 properties was a full application, meaning the whole estate can be built to those plans.
