The council’s ‘call for sites’ will close on August 1 leaving businesses, organisations and individuals less than two weeks to put forward potential areas for development to cater towards the growing need for more housing in the borough.
Research commissioned by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has revealed Nearly 13,000 houses may need to be built by 2033, meaning an average of 648 homes per year.
This is a dramatic rise from the 300 homes per year the council believed would be required when it last undertook a similar assessment for the years 2006 to 2026.
Furthermore, just over half of the total number of new dwellings should be affordable units the report suggests.
Since February, the council has been inviting developers, landowners, town and parish councils alongside other interested bodies to find areas in the borough they believe can be utilised to meet this need – a consultation process it has dubbed a ‘call for sites’.
Their input is being compiled as part of a new Local Plan which will lay out a strategic vision for the future development within the borough.
In addition, the Local Plan will involve consultations and research addressing needs in relation to the economy, community facilities and infrastructure, as well as forming the basis for protecting the environment.
The first draft of the new Local Plan, known as the ‘Issues & Options’, will be consulted on between April and June 2017, with public exhibitions being held around the borough.
