News Everyone welcome at drop-in sessions for Heathlands Garden Community
Residents, businesses and stakeholders are being invited to drop-in sessions for the Heathlands Garden Settlement to share their ideas and to help shape the planned new development near Lenham.
These sessions will take place on Saturday 10 May between 2pm and 8pm at Lenham Community Centre, 12 Groom Way, Lenham, Maidstone ME17 2QT, and Tuesday 13 May between 2pm and 6pm at Dog and Bear Hotel, The Square, Lenham, Maidstone ME17 2PG.
The Heathlands Garden Community is identified as a major new development in the Local Plan Review 2021-2038, which was adopted by Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) in March 2024.
These sessions are designed for people to drop in, to learn more about the proposals and to provide their comments and feedback which will be used to inform the emerging Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which is being prepared by the Council.
The SPD will provide further guidance about how the new community should be developed, which will inform any future Outline Planning Application.
Heathlands will be located in the East of the borough of Maidstone, between the villages of Lenham and Charing.
Key features of Heathlands include:
- Up to 5,000 new homes
- 40% affordable homes
- 14 hectares of dedicated new employment land
- One new district centre & two new local centres
- New primary school/s provision totalling 7 forms of entry (FE)
- New 6 FE secondary school
- New country park
- A new railway station
- 20% biodiversity net gain
- New health care and community facilities
In addition to these local community sessions, there will be an online opportunity to share feedback through a digital survey. The survey will be live on Saturday 10 May 2025 and will close on Sunday 25 May 2025.
Further engagement will then take place over the coming months.
For more information please visit the MBC web page.