Parish Cake Autumn 2020

councillor’s
comments
No to TWBC’s
Local Plan
Cllr. Sean Holden, borough councillor for Benenden and
Cranbrook and Kent County Councillor for Cranbrook,
explains why he is voting ‘No’ to TWBC’s Local Plan
NO
THE LOCAL Plan – it’s the
wrong plan for Cranbrook
and Sissinghurst. It’s the
wrong plan for the Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB) in which they are
set. It’s the wrong number of
houses.
I will vote against it when it
comes before Tunbridge Wells
Borough Council (TWBC).
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We face an additional 900
houses in this plan, with 300
already permitted in Hartley. I
cannot vote for such a scheme
on behalf of Cranbrook and
Sissinghurst residents.
In 2016 the government
suddenly blocked the existing
plan and, instead of 6,000
houses, said the Tunbridge
Wells Borough had an
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“objectively assessed need”
for 13,800.
I’ve never accepted that
“need”. We know they’re not
for people presently living
here. We know infrastructure
will be run ragged whatever
“mitigation” developers
provide.
TWBC councillors rightly
agreed the only strategic
answer to government
imposition was a new
settlement. Spreading it
among beautiful rural areas
would overwhelm their
character and infrastructure.
So about 4,500 are set for
Paddock Wood and 2,800
around nearby Tudeley (not in
the AONB). But for Cranbrook
it’s 900 and Hawkhurst 700 in
the AONB!
I say, to protect the
beautiful character of our
ancient town and countryside,
these allocations should
go to Paddock Wood’s new
settlements and to Tunbridge
Wells’ town. They already face
7,000. A few hundred more
would make little difference
there but a great deal here.
Better, would be a
government strategic rethink.
Kent County Council (KCC)
has always disappointed
me by going along with the
county-wide requirement of
200,000 in 10 years. I’d rather
see KCC rally the 12 local
councils against cramming
everything into the South
East. They should go to the
Midlands and the north
where land prices are lower
and building can stimulate
struggling economies.
Covid has changed work
and how we view and use
cities and towns. Digital
communication has proved
efficient, productive and
beneficial to the quality
of people’s lives. Where
you actually are is often
unimportant.
I’ve asked our MPs to
press for the imminently
redundant HS2 railway’s
£100bn to be switched to
digital communications and
for houses to go north.
34 Parish Cake • Autumn 2020