Council takes action to protect Sundridge woodland threatened with development

Published: Thursday, 21st July 2022

Sevenoaks District Council is taking action to protect a much-loved woodland in Sundridge, which is currently being sold for development.

The Council recently discovered the wooded site by New Road, Sundridge is being sold as individual plots with marketing information suggesting the land has the potential for development.

However, the woodland is in the Green Belt and is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so planning permission for any residential development is unlikely to be granted.

To ensure the valuable woodland continues to be protected, the Council served Article 4 Directions today (Thursday 21 July 2022). These restrict the activities that can be carried out without planning permission including putting up fences, gates or walls, stationing caravans and other temporary uses and buildings.

Cllr Julia Thornton, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Development & Conservation, says: “We have promised our residents that we will do everything we can to protect our much cherished environment. Serving these latest Article 4 Directions clearly demonstrate we are being true to our word.

“Anyone considering buying this land should beware: this woodland is protected and any proposals to develop it are highly unlikely to be granted planning permission.”

This latest action comes after the Council served Article 4 Directions on sites in Shoreham, Cowden, Edenbridge, Penshurst, West Kingsdown and Sevenoaks as they too were being sold as individual plots for potential for development.

Anyone who is considering buying a plot of land should check its planning status first. They can do this on the Council’s interactive planning map at https://maps.sevenoaks.gov.uk/planning.

Alternatively they can seek advice from the Council’s Pre-Application Planning Advice team www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/preapplicationadvice or by calling 01732 227000.