Planning News Winter 2021-22 

Tunbridge Wells Local Plan:

A guide to procedural arrangements for the independent Inspector’s Examination of the proposed Local Plan was issued on 19 January; the Inspector is Matthew Birkinshaw. The hearings will be in two stages, the first being on Matters, Issues and Questions (MIQs) relating to general issues, and the second stage will relate to particular items, including specific sites. The Society and local residents are particularly interested in the former Caenwood Farm proposal, about which I wrote in the Spring 2021 Newsletter.

This site will be considered under Matter 7 at a hearing in the TWBC Council Chamber, starting at 09.50 on 20 April and will be live-streamed. MIQs for Stage 2 will be published on 16 February and there is a deadline of 28 February for the Society to advise of its intended participation. I gather that local residents in the Speldhurst Road Community Action Group are in contact with the Examination’s co-ordinator (who gave me the details above about this). In commenting to TWBC Planning on the Draft Plan, I advised that the Society would wish to take part in any hearing. A Working Group looking at the Neighbourhood Plan for Southborough is about to be launched. See my notes on Neighbourhood Plans in the Autumn 2020 Newsletter.

Brokes Wood I understand that the sale of this land fell through late in the day. We await further developments.