News Community invited to help shape proposals for Heathlands Garden Community
Homes England and Maidstone Borough Council launch engagement programme
Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, working in partnership with Maidstone Borough Council, has announced a new programme of Community Engagement Events and activities to shape Heathlands Garden Community as they prepare the Outline Planning Application.
Heathlands Garden Community is allocated for development in Maidstone’s Local Plan Review 2021 - 2038, which was adopted by the Council in March 2024. The emerging plans for the new community, located to the east of Maidstone Borough, will see around 5,000 new homes built. Subject to planning permission being granted, it is expected that Heathlands will deliver the first homes by 2031 and be completed by 2054, bringing forward the delivery of much needed homes, employment space, schools, local centres, green spaces and a new railway station on the Maidstone–Ashford line.
Alongside the policies in the Local Plan, the Council’s recently-published Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) will help everyone involved to shape the masterplan for the forthcoming Outline Planning Application.
Heathlands Garden Community will play a significant role in supporting Maidstone’s housing needs, as set out in the Local Plan. This plan-led, strategic approach to growth integrates infrastructure needs to deliver a well-designed and sustainable community.
Starting from May 2026, engagement for Heathlands Garden Community will listen to the views of local people which will help shape the plans for the Outline Planning Application and guide detailed planning applications, known as Reserved Matters Applications in the future. The Outline Planning Application defines what will be delivered on the site, and will secure the principle of the development at a strategic level. The Outline Planning Application sets out principles such as the layout, scale, access and landscaping strategy for the new community. Future Reserved Matters Applications will be submitted for consideration that will establish the detailed design of the development.
A series of in person and online engagement events are planned in May 2026. The events will ask the local community to share their thoughts to shape this new community in Maidstone.
The project team will also be at local venues in May 2026 to help advertise the forthcoming engagement activity. A dedicated project website has been set up: Have Your Say Today - Heathlands Garden Community - Commonplace. This website is available to provide clear and accessible information about the development and ways to get involved.
Join us in person:
Location | Date & Time |
Lenham Community Centre 12 Groom Way, Lenham, ME17 2QT | Date of event: Friday 15 May 2026; and Saturday 16 May 2026 Opening hours: Friday 2pm – 8pm; and Saturday 10am – 2pm |
Charing Church Barn Market Place, Charing, TN27 0LP
| Date of event: Wednesday 20 May 2026 Opening hours: 2pm – 8pm |
Harrietsham Village Hall Church Road, Harrietsham, ME17 1AP | Date of event: Thursday 21 May 2026 Opening hours: 1:30pm – 6:30pm |
Or online:
Zoom webinar Monday 18 May 2026, 7 – 8pm Tuesday 19 May 2026, 7 – 8pm Visit Have Your Say Today - Heathlands Garden Community - Commonplace to register to attend You can also read more information about the proposals and fill in our questionnaire on our website. |
It is expected that the engagement activities will continue in 2026 and will be followed by the submission of an Outline Planning Application.
If the Outline Planning Application is approved, development of Heathlands is expected to start in the early 2030s. The details of the proposals will come forward through phased Reserved Matters Applications before development commences. There will be engagement with the local community and key stakeholders at all stages.
Jayshree Patel, Head of Planning and Enabling at Homes England, said: “Heathlands has been allocated in the Local Plan as a location for growth and we recognise that there are a wide range of views about what this could mean for local communities.
“The engagement events are about listening, and so we want to hear from the local community, stakeholders and local interest groups about what matters most to them and how any future proposals could respond positively to local priorities including those related to transport, the environment, infrastructure and quality of place.”
“No detailed plans have been fixed at this stage and the feedback we receive will play an important role in shaping the next steps.”
Cllr Simon Wales, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at Maidstone Borough Council added: “We want local communities to play an active role in shaping Heathlands Garden Community. Their feedback will be central to creating a well-planned, sustainable place that meets local needs now and in the future.”
For more information about Heathlands Garden Community and to sign up for email updates on the project, please visit: www.heathlandsgc.co.uk