Tunbridge Wells Borough Council asked landowners, developers and parish councils to put forward sites for possible development as it tries to close a projected shortfall of 1,178 homes in its long-term housing plan.

If you own land in the borough — or live near a field, farm or brownfield site that someone else might put forward — this process could shape what gets built in your area over the next decade. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council opened a Call for Sites, accepting submissions until midnight on 3 August 2026. That window has now closed. Any land put forward will be assessed for possible allocation in the Local Plan Review, the document that sets out where homes, employment sites and community facilities can go across the borough for the period 2029–2044.

What the Council Is Trying to Do

The council’s own housing figures show it needs to build 678 homes a year but has been completing far fewer. The Authority Monitoring Report for 2023/24 recorded 611 new homes finished between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024 — against an average of 406 completions a year since 2006. The plan period runs from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2038, with a total target of 12,204 dwellings. According to the council’s December 2024 housing trajectory update, anticipated supply stands at 11,026 homes, leaving a projected gap of 1,178 dwellings by the end of the plan period.

A Call for Sites is an information-gathering exercise, not a planning decision. Submitting land does not guarantee allocation, planning permission or development. The council collects submissions, assesses each site against factors including location, access, infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints and deliverability, then feeds the results into the wider Local Plan evidence base.

The Case For — and the Concerns

Supporters of the process argue it gives the council a wider pool of potential sites to consider, rather than relying only on land already identified. Done well, it can help deliver homes — including affordable housing — employment space and community facilities where they are genuinely needed.

But residents and community groups have legitimate reasons to pay attention. New allocations could increase pressure on roads, GP surgeries, schools and drainage if infrastructure does not keep pace. Sites on greenfield, agricultural or ecologically sensitive land raise questions about landscape character, biodiversity and flood risk. And the process of submitting a site can itself create anxiety in a neighbourhood long before any decision is taken — because once a parcel of land appears on a council map, it can feel like a done deal, even when it isn’t.

There is also a practical concern about who tends to engage: landowners and developers with the resources to prepare detailed technical submissions may have an advantage at this early stage. The council’s assessment must still weigh planning suitability and deliverability, but smaller communities or individuals without professional support may find the process harder to handle on their own behalf.

What Happens After Submission

No site submitted through this exercise will automatically end up in the Local Plan. Each must pass through the council’s assessment methodology, then survive formal consultation stages — at which point residents, parish councils and community groups can comment. After that, the plan goes to an independent inspector, who must find it legally compliant and sound before the council can adopt it. That process typically takes years.

Potentially affected villages and neighbourhoods across the borough — from rural parishes to areas adjoining Royal Tunbridge Wells — cannot be identified until the council publishes its submitted-site list and assessment results.

Who Can Submit and How

Landowners, developers, town and parish councils and other interested parties were all eligible to put forward sites. The council’s tweet directed anyone interested to its official webpage, where submission details and requirements were set out. The Call for Sites window closed at midnight on 3 August 2026; it has not been confirmed by the council whether any late submissions were accepted.

Key information

  • Deadline: Midnight on 3 August 2026 — the Call for Sites window has now closed
  • Who could submit: Landowners, developers, town and parish councils and other interested parties
  • How to submit: Full details, including the submission form and evidence requirements, are on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council’s planning policy webpages
  • Later involvement: Residents and community groups who do not own land can still comment during formal Local Plan consultation stages — watch the council’s website for announcement dates

The council will publish its assessment of submitted sites before formal Local Plan consultations begin.