Maidstone Borough Council has clarified that land submitted through its Call for Sites process is assessed as planning evidence only — not automatically approved for development.

What the council is saying

Maidstone Borough Council posted on social media this week to explain what landowners and residents can expect after sites are submitted through the Call for Sites process — and the answer, in short, is that submission is just the start of a long road. The council is clear that getting land onto the list does not mean it will ever be built on.

According to the council’s published guidance, the Call for Sites exists to identify land that could potentially be available across the borough and to build the evidence base for the New Local Plan. Cllr Tony Harwood, Cabinet Member for Planning Policy and Development, is the council’s named lead on the process.

What the process actually means

The most recent exercise — the New Local Plan Call for Sites 2026 — ran for ten weeks, from 15 June 2026 to 23 August 2026. An earlier borough-wide Call for Sites took place in 2019. The council’s Local Plan Review covering the period 2021 to 2038 was adopted in March 2024, and this new round of site-gathering feeds into the next stage of plan-making.

So what happens to submitted sites? They go into an assessment process — examined against planning evidence, spatial strategy, and site selection criteria. Some submissions made outside the current plan’s timetable may be held over for a future Local Plan Review rather than considered now.

Why the council says it runs the process

The council’s rationale is straightforward: identifying available land early helps it plan for future housing and development in an orderly way, rather than reacting to speculative planning applications one by one. A structured evidence base, it argues, leads to a fairer planning framework for the whole borough.

Concerns from residents near potential sites

But residents living near land that has been submitted are understandably nervous. The Call for Sites can reopen debate about land that many people assumed was settled — raising fears about pressure on local roads, schools, and green spaces before any final decision has been taken. The mere act of submission can feel, to a neighbour, like the first step towards a digger arriving at the end of the garden.

It’s worth being clear: it isn’t. The council stresses that inclusion in the Call for Sites carries no guarantee of planning permission or even allocation in the Local Plan.

What comes next

The critical stages for residents — the moments when objections and representations carry real weight — come later, during formal consultation on draft policy options and site choices, and then at independent examination. Residents near possible development sites should watch for those later consultation windows rather than treating the Call for Sites itself as the decision point.

Key information

  • The 2026 Call for Sites ran from 15 June 2026 to 23 August 2026 — this window is now closed
  • Sites submitted will be assessed as planning evidence; submission does not guarantee allocation or planning permission
  • Some submissions may be held for a future Local Plan Review if they fall outside the current plan-making stage
  • Residents can follow progress through Maidstone Borough Council’s Local Plan pages on the council website