Full Council voted on 3 September 2026 to pause the borough’s draft Local Plan, saying water supply and infrastructure must be properly assessed before any further progress.
Residents and developers across Tonbridge and Malling are facing an uncertain wait after the borough council paused its draft Local Plan. Full Council met on 3 September 2026 and agreed the plan shouldn’t advance to its next formal stage — a public consultation known as Regulation 19 — until questions about whether there’s enough water to support the level of new homes the Government is demanding have been properly answered.
Councillor Matt Boughton, Leader of Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, said members had decided the draft Local Plan should not proceed to Regulation 19 consultation in its current form. He acknowledged the considerable work already put into preparing the plan, but confirmed that concerns about water supply and wider infrastructure capacity remain unresolved.
Unresolved. That’s where things stand.
Regulation 19 is the point in the Local Plan process where a council formally invites public comments on its draft before sending it to the Planning Inspectorate — the national body that examines whether local plans are sound. That stage is now on hold, with no confirmed date, and according to the council it is not yet known whether a Regulation 19 consultation will take place at all or when it might be scheduled.
So what happens next? Council officers will examine the implications of the Full Council decision and work out what it means for the timetable. The council will also continue working with infrastructure providers to gather the evidence members say is missing. And the Government will be told about the decision and its effect on the borough’s planning preparations — a fairly pointed signal that local and national priorities aren’t quite singing from the same hymn sheet.
The knock-on effects for Kent are real. Any hold-up to Tonbridge and Malling’s Local Plan pushes back decisions on new homes, roads, schools and services across that part of the county. Water supply pressures are hardly unique to this borough, and neighbouring authorities facing the same squeeze will no doubt be watching how this plays out.
Updates will be posted on Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council’s Local Plan webpages at www.tmbc.gov.uk/localplan as the review progresses. Council officers will assess the timetable implications before any decision is taken on next steps for the Local Plan.
Tonbridge and Malling Council halts Local Plan over water supply fears Quiz
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