Proposals in Sevenoaks District’s Draft Local Plan could fundamentally change the landscape surrounding one of our flagship nature reserves, threatening this haven for wildlife and people. The deadline to respond to the public consultation closed on Thursday 17 September, but there are still vital ways to support...
Sevenoaks District Council's recently published Local Plan Regulation 19 proposes allocating land immediately north to Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve for major housing development. The proposed allocated site, referred to as Land North of Sevenoaks, West of Otford Road (site reference ST4-7), would deliver 1,500 new homes, provision for 12 gypsy and traveller pitches and accommodate a new local community and leisure centre and associated infrastructure. A development of this scale adjacent to nationally important and globally rare habitats could cause significant environmental impacts and disturbance to wildlife.
Whilst we recognise the need for new housing, we do not believe development should come at the expense of nature. We strongly advocate for the right development in the right place. We, and many of you, responded to the public consultation (which closed 17th September) voicing these concerns.
Read our full response to the public consultation
While we wait to hear about the next steps, there are three key ways you can continue to support the campaign to Preserve Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve:
With the consultation closed, the work doesn't stop to protect Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. We have developed an Alternative Vision based on feedback from the local community and the environmental opportunities presented by the site.
We asked residents and visitors of Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve what they valued most about where they live and what they would like to see delivered on the land north of Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. 112 people responded, with wildlife, nature and the countryside among the things valued most highly.
There was particularly strong support for nature recovery, River Darent and chalk stream restoration, wetlands, woodland and hedgerow creation, improved habitat connectivity and protecting Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve and Sevenoaks Gravel Pits SSSI from development.
Importantly, the responses also showed that people want a practical solution, one that helps contribute to the need for affordable housing, without harming Sevenoaks’ most vulnerable and important natural assets. This is reflected in the fact that 63% supported a small amount of carefully planned development alongside significant nature restoration – providing a reasonable alternative solution that Sevenoaks District Council and the developer could support.
Download the Alternative Vision
The Alternative Vision demonstrates that there is another way of approaching the site, one that can accommodate some development in areas where we consider the impacts could be better contained, while using the majority of the site to deliver large-scale nature recovery and green infrastructure, relieving pressure on the nationally important Wildlife Reserve and SSSI.
This vision isn’t intended to be a finished masterplan. It is a starting point for a different conversation about what the site could deliver for Sevenoaks, nature and the River Darent corridor. We think there is an opportunity to develop this collaboratively, involving local communities, Sevenoaks District Council, local councillors and other environmental and community organisations. This could provide a unique opportunity for residents to have a meaningful role in helping shape where they live.
The consultation closed on the 17th of September; a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a response. There are 2404 published responses available to read online, and that's just the published responses.
Typically after a Reg 19 consultation closes, the Council should consider all representations made and ensure they have everything they need to submit the plan. Then, the plan will be submitted to the planning inspectorate, who will have 10 working days to advise whether it can proceed to an examination. If it can proceed, the planning inspectorate has 3 weeks to appoint an inspector who will confirm when the start date will be for the hearings.
The Council has to give 6 weeks' notice to residents before hearings open. We will keep you up to date on when we anticipate this will be.
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is a vital habitat for wildlife. At its heart lies the Sevenoaks Gravel Pit Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), a nationally significant site supporting over 2,000 species, including protected and red-listed birds, alongside rich botanical and invertebrate life. The River Darent, a rare and vulnerable chalk stream, flows through the reserve, making it a place of exceptional ecological value.
The area of land north of the reserve is the last substantial area of open countryside connecting the reserve to the wider landscape. Kent Wildlife Trust is concerned that large-scale development on this land would significantly reduce this connectivity, leaving the reserve enclosed by development and isolated from the surrounding countryside. Protecting and strengthening these connections is vital to creating a resilient landscape where wildlife can thrive for future generations.
The River Darent, one of Kent’s rare and environmentally important chalk streams, runs through the proposed allocated sites. Chalk streams are one of the world's rarest freshwater habitats, with around 85% found in England, most of them in the south-east. They support an exceptional diversity of wildlife and are often described as England's equivalent of tropical rainforests because of their global importance and rarity.
Significant parts of the proposed allocated site lie within both Flood Zone 3a, which refers to land with a high probability of annual flooding and Flood Zone 3b, which is land that is considered a functional floodplain, where water naturally flows and is stored during times of flooding.
Large-scale development could increase polluted runoff, sediment and contaminants entering the River Darent, damaging water quality and the wildlife that depends on this important chalk stream. Development within and alongside the floodplain could also reduce the landscape's ability to naturally store and slow floodwater, increasing flood risk downstream and placing additional pressures on wildlife and communities.
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is enjoyed by thousands of people every year, and we firmly believe everyone should have the opportunity to access nature.
However, the current concept masterplan for the proposed allocated sites includes new access into the reserve from the north, directly linking it to a development of 1,500 homes. This could bring over 5,000 additional residents within easy walking distance to the reserve, significantly increasing recreational pressure on sensitive habitats.
At present, visitors enter through the Visitor Centre, where Kent Wildlife Trust can provide information and help manage activities that could harm wildlife, such as dog walking and cycling, which are not permitted. A new, unmanaged entrance would make this much more difficult and could increase disturbance to wildlife, littering and anti-social behaviour.
Between 23rd July and 17th September, Sevenoaks District Council consulted on its Local Plan Regulation 19. This consultation was the final opportunity for residents to comment on the Draft Local Plan before it is finalised.
By taking part in the Regulation 19 consultation, you have spoken up for nature and this nationally important site.
You can download and read the Draft Local Plan here.
To help you write more detailed responses to Reg 19 consultations, you can read our guidance below.
How to respond to a Regulation 19 ConsultationRead our full response to the consultation
Kent Wildlife Trust is urging the public to help protect Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve after Sevenoaks District Council published proposals for a major housing development immediately north of the reserve.
