Current position
Thank you to everyone who took time to take part in the recent Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council.
A Regulation 18 consultation is one of the most important stages in preparing a Local Plan, seeking views on the vision, objectives, spatial strategy, and potential development sites before the plan progresses further. The purpose was to make sure local residents, businesses and anyone who cares about our community had an opportunity to have their say while the plan is still in development and before any final decisions are taken
We are pleased to report a very high level of engagement across Tonbridge and Malling.
The online consultation attracted over 14,000 visitors, with 2,206 respondents providing feedback. In total, 6,456 individual contributions were submitted directly to us, including responses to surveys, comments on interactive maps and written representations. This reflects not only strong participation, but also the depth of engagement, with many respondents sharing feedback on more than one topic.
Alongside this over 2,000 people subscribed for updates, showing continued interest in the Local Plan as it progresses.
Engagement extended beyond the consultation hub itself. The dedicated Local Plan pages on our website were viewed more than 36,000 times, indicating that many people accessed background information and supporting materials to inform their responses.
Our social media posts reached over 55,000 people, helping to raise awareness of the consultation across a wide audience and encourage participation from across the borough.
To support accessibility and provide different ways to take part, we also hosted a virtual exhibition and a programme of in-person drop-in sessions across the borough, along with Leader of the Council, Matt Boughton personally attending 27 community group and parish and town council meetings.
The virtual exhibition boards received over 5,000 views, allowing residents to explore the proposals and supporting information at a time convenient to them. The drop-in events provided opportunities for face-to-face discussions with officers, giving residents the chance to ask questions and share detailed feedback directly.
All responses are now being carefully reviewed and analysed by the project team. Given the volume and range of feedback received, this is a thorough process to ensure every representation is properly considered. The findings will inform the next stage of the Local Plan, including any changes to the site allocations, emerging strategy, policies and supporting evidence.
The timetable for Local Plan preparation can be found in our revised - Local Development Scheme (LDS).
We will let you know as soon as the results of the consultation are available and continue to keep you all informed as the Local Plan progresses towards Regulation 19, when a proposed final version of the Local Plan will be published for consultation before submission to the Government for independent examination.
Thank you once again for taking part in this important consultation and for helping to shape the future of Tonbridge and Malling.
