Heathlands Garden Settlement SPD

Comment

Representation ID: 919

Received: 17/12/2025

Respondent: Bearsted Parish Council

Bearsted Parish Council - Response to Lenham Heathlands Development Proposal – Transport and Highway Infrastructure
Bearsted Parish Council is responding to the invitation from Maidstone Borough Council to participate in the consultation on the Lenham Heathlands development proposal. This should not be taken as support or otherwise for the proposal, simply a statement on the Parish Council’s concerns relating to the need for Highways and Transport improvements as it is located on the same busy highway and rail corridors.
As The Government has published on its web site; “Travel Plans, Transport Assessments and Statements are all ways of assessing and mitigating the negative transport impacts of development in order to promote sustainable development. They are required for all developments which generate significant amounts of movements”.
Rail
A proposal to build a new rail station at Lenham Heath is noted. The cost of such a provision would be high and could slow further what is already a tortuous journey time to London. Given the inadequacy and journey times of the current service pattern with the off-peak service east and west bound being particularly unattractive, the Parish Council believes that investment in the service provision would be preferable to building a station half a mile from the existing more central Lenham station. The North Downs Railway from Ashford to London via Maidstone East is slow and without improvement, it will encourage car use which will impact the A20 corridor significantly given the scale of proposed development. Part the planning must include ways to make rail transport more attractive. A high quality minibus shuttle to Lenham station for residents would a cheaper option and potentially allow investment in the rail service.
Bus Service
The development should include a significantly improved bus service for the A20 corridor building on the existing infrequent 510 route and link with railway stations where possible. Travel to school along this corridor is a vital link for many young people.
M20
A new motorway junction to access the development area is highly desirable in the view of Bearsted Parish Council. This would provide significant benefit to A20 corridor which is likely to become highly congested.
Conclusion
There are contrasting models of large developments across the UK. Those with easy access to good quality public transport links can promote a balanced transport strategy. Those without such access are more likely to suffer from heavy congestion making bus services even less attractive.

Comment noted.
The SPD takes forward the requirements of Policy LPRSP4(A) of the Local Plan Review which established the necessary scope of infrastructure which is replicated in the SPD and includes the need for the station and for improvements to bus services, but did not include a requirement for a new junction on the motorway.
Chapter 6.11 of the SPD sets out principles and guidelines including relating to promoting active travel, assessing and mitigating impacts across the local and strategic road layout.
The SPD is supported by a Transport Annex and Assessment and sets out additional guidance on the approach to transport assessment and mitigation (Chapter 8) as has been agreed between Maidstone Borough Council, Kent County Council and National Highways.
Future planning applications will set out more details around the proposed layout of buildings, uses, infrastructure and other mitigations in light of assessments of impacts.
All future applications will be the subject of consultation and future decision making.