🐝 BEES NOT WASPS CAMPAIGN NEWSLETTER | June 2026
The Road to Regulation 19
📍 Campaign Snapshot
- ✅ WASPS Stadium proposal has been stood down.
- ⚠️ Pedham Place remains in the emerging Local Plan.
- 📋 Regulation 19 Local Plan now under consideration.
- 📢 Join us on Tuesday 30 June at our demonstration before the DIAC meeting.
- ✍️ Sign the petitions.
- 🌿 Help protect our Green Belt.
Firstly…
Firstly, apologies for the length of this update!
It's been several months since our last newsletter, and a great deal has happened.
We've now reached a pivotal stage in the Sevenoaks Local Plan process, so we wanted to bring everything together in one place—celebrating the progress we've made, explaining where things now stand, and outlining how you can continue to support the campaign as we head towards Regulation 19.
There is a great deal to cover, but the decisions being made over the coming weeks could shape our communities and countryside for generations...
So, grab a cup of tea, settle in, and thank you, as always, for taking the time to stay informed and involved.
Thank You
Most importantly, we'd like to thank every resident who has supported the campaign over the past few years.
Whether you've attended meetings, submitted planning representations, delivered leaflets, signed petitions, shared social media posts, written to councillors, attended public demonstrations or simply spoken with neighbours, you have helped build one of the largest community-led planning campaigns our district has seen.
The success of this campaign has always depended on ordinary people giving their time, knowledge and energy to protect the places they care about. Every contribution—large or small—has helped bring us to this important stage. Thank you.
We've always believed that this campaign is about more than opposing development. It's about ensuring that planning decisions are evidence-based, transparent and genuinely sustainable, while protecting the unique character of our Green Belt and local communities. One of the campaign's greatest achievements has been demonstrating that this is not simply another 'Not In My Back Yard' campaign, but a district-wide movement working positively for better planning across Sevenoaks.
Together, we've demonstrated that informed, respectful and determined communities really can make a difference—and the progress we've made so far is thanks to every one of you.
🤝 A Growing District-Wide Movement
One of the most positive developments over the past year has been the way communities across Sevenoaks District have come together.
What began as individual campaigns responding to local concerns has grown into something much bigger. Residents, parish councils, community organisations and campaign groups from across the district have been sharing information, exchanging expertise and supporting one another through an increasingly complex planning process.
While every community has its own unique challenges, we are united by a common goal: ensuring that planning decisions are transparent, evidence-based, environmentally responsible and supported by the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time.
This collaboration has strengthened every campaign. By sharing knowledge, scrutinising evidence and standing together, we've built a collective voice that is informed, constructive and increasingly difficult to ignore.
We would like to thank everyone who has contributed their time, expertise and commitment—whether by researching planning documents, submitting representations, attending meetings, asking difficult questions or simply helping to keep their local community informed.
As we move into Regulation 19 and beyond, this spirit of cooperation will be more important than ever. By continuing to work together across parish boundaries and community groups, we can ensure that local voices remain at the heart of decisions that will shape Sevenoaks District for generations to come.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we are making a difference.
🏉 A Huge Milestone – WASPS Stadium Proposal Stood Down
There has finally been some very welcome news.
Crockenhill Parish Council has announced that the proposed WASPS Stadium project has been "kicked into touch" and will not be progressing in its current form.
This represents a significant achievement for everyone who has campaigned tirelessly over many months.
It demonstrates that when residents come together, present robust evidence and engage positively in the planning process, their voices can influence major planning decisions.
However, while this is an important milestone, our campaign is far from over. Many residents will understandably celebrate this outcome, but the wider planning issues that first brought our communities together remain very much alive.
The option agreement over the land remains in place and, more importantly, the proposal for approximately 2,600 homes at Pedham Place continues to form part of the emerging Sevenoaks Local Plan.
Our campaign has never simply been about opposing a stadium.
It has always been about protecting one of the most sensitive areas of Green Belt and National Landscapes within Sevenoaks District and ensuring that any development is supported by genuine evidence, sustainable infrastructure and transparent decision-making.
🌳 Pedham Place Is Now Our Primary Focus
As the Local Plan moves towards Regulation 19, Pedham Place is now the principal issue facing our communities.
Residents continue to raise serious concerns regarding:
- Loss of protected Green Belt.
- Harm to the setting of the Kent Downs National Landscape.
- Pressure on Junction 3 of the M25 and the surrounding road network.
- Water supply and wastewater capacity.
- Healthcare provision.
- School places.
- Public transport.
- Environmental constraints including landfill, ecology and the high-pressure fuel pipeline.
- Whether the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP), which underpins the Local Plan, demonstrates that the necessary infrastructure can realistically be delivered before development takes place.
Many of these questions remain unanswered, reinforcing the importance of careful scrutiny before irreversible planning decisions are made.
⚖️ Regulation 19 – Our Most Important Opportunity Yet
Regulation 19 is the final public consultation before the Sevenoaks Local Plan is submitted to the Planning Inspector for independent examination (link to SDC's announcement: https://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/news/article/592/council_considers_updated_local_plan_to_meet_government_housing_target).
It represents our last and most important opportunity to submit well-evidenced representations supported by planning policy, helping to demonstrate whether the Local Plan is legally compliant and sound.
Representations at this stage should focus on planning issues such as:
- Housing requirement
- Green Belt methodology
- Infrastructure delivery
- Water supply and wastewater
- Transport and highway impacts
- Environmental impacts
- The overall planning process
These planning issues are important because they provide the evidence and reasoning used to show whether the Local Plan meets—or fails—the legal and soundness tests that the Planning Inspector must consider.
Every representation submitted during Regulation 19 becomes part of the examination evidence and can help inform the Inspector's assessment of the Plan.
Now is the time to gather robust evidence, develop strong planning arguments, support ongoing campaigns, sign and share petitions, and encourage as many people as possible to participate when the Regulation 19 consultation opens.
The Council has now reached one of the most significant stages in preparing its Local Plan.
On 30 June, the Development & Infrastructure Advisory Committee (DIAC) will consider whether to recommend the proposed Regulation 19 Local Plan to Cabinet.
If approved, Cabinet will decide whether to publish the Plan for Regulation 19 consultation before it is submitted for independent examination.
Unlike previous consultations, Regulation 19 focuses primarily on whether the Local Plan is:
- Legally compliant
- Positively prepared
- Justified
- Effective
- Consistent with national planning policy
The infographic below explains how Regulation 19 works, the legal and soundness tests that the Planning Inspector will apply, and how planning issues should be linked back to the legal compliance and soundness tests when preparing representations. (The planning issues shown are illustrative rather than exhaustive and may overlap or relate to more than one test.)
The decisions taken over the coming weeks could shape Sevenoaks District for generations. This is why informed public participation throughout the Regulation 19 consultation will be more important than ever.
🚨 What You Can Do Right Now
📢 1. Join the Demonstration
Tuesday 30th June
🟢 Dress Code: GREEN
📍 Meet at Sevenoaks Railway Station – 6:00pm
🚶 Walk together to Sevenoaks District Council Offices
🏛 Attend the 7:00pm Development & Infrastructure Advisory Committee (DIAC) meeting in person.
This is one of the most significant meetings in the Local Plan process.
At this meeting, councillors will consider recommending the proposed Regulation 19 Local Plan to Cabinet. If agreed, it will move one step closer to formal consultation and ultimately examination by the Planning Inspector.
The published committee papers (see the link below) run to hundreds of pages and include:
- the proposed Regulation 19 Local Plan;
- updates to the Infrastructure Delivery Plan (IDP);
- consultation responses;
- supporting evidence;
- officer recommendations; and
- reports that will help shape the future of the district.
This represents one of the final opportunities for councillors to consider the evidence before making their recommendation.
We encourage everyone to attend the demonstration beforehand and, where possible, remain for the public committee meeting.
A strong, respectful public presence demonstrates that local residents care deeply about protecting our Green Belt and expect planning decisions to be transparent, evidence-led and infrastructure-first.
Every person attending helps show that our communities are engaged, informed and committed to shaping the future of Sevenoaks District.
✍️ 2. Sign the Current Petitions
Please take a few moments to sign and share the current petitions with your family, friends and neighbours.
There are over 120,000 people living in the Sevenoaks District. Imagine the impact if every resident who shares our concerns took just a couple of minutes to sign and pass these on. Together, we can ensure our voices are impossible to ignore.
Every signature helps demonstrate the strength of public feeling and reinforces the message being heard by local and national decision-makers.
Current Petitions
🏡 Pause Government Housebuilding Targets Imposed on Councils
Help us push this petition beyond the 100,000-signature threshold, where it becomes eligible to be considered for a debate in Parliament.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762214
🏗️ Pass House Building Reforms to Deliver Approved Homes
Support reforms to ensure the 1.4 million homes that already have planning permission are actually built before more Green Belt and countryside are allocated for development. The petition calls for mandatory build-out timescales, stronger penalties for stalled developments, "use it or lose it" planning permissions, greater compulsory purchase powers and more action to bring long-term empty homes back into use.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762304
💧 No Water – No Housebuilding
Support the national campaign calling for essential water infrastructure to be delivered before large-scale housing development.
https://www.haltthehouses.com/
🏠 Raise the Rent-a-Room Scheme Tax-Free Threshold
Support changes that could encourage more people to make spare rooms available, helping to ease housing pressures without building on more Green Belt land.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/762219
Every signature counts. Please sign, share and encourage others to do the same.
📱 3. Join Our Facebook Community
The campaign continues to evolve almost daily, and our Facebook community remains the quickest place to stay informed.
Join our Facebook community for:
- Planning updates.
- Council papers.
- Campaign news.
- Event information.
- Planning analysis.
- Volunteer opportunities.
- Calls to action.
Please also help by sharing our posts to keep residents informed.
🗣️ 4. Take Part in Regulation 19
When the Regulation 19 consultation opens (currently anticipated to begin on or around 23 July, subject to formal approval), we will publish information explaining:
- what Regulation 19 means;
- how to submit effective representations;
- the key planning issues residents may wish to consider;
- consultation deadlines; and
- future campaign events.
Your continued participation will be essential.
🔗 Useful Links
📢 Join the Demonstration
https://www.facebook.com/events/1606287047590855/
🌿 Protect Our Green Belt Together Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/protectourgreenbelttogether
🏉 Crockenhill Parish Council – WASPS Stadium Announcement
https://www.crockenhillpc.org.uk/2026/06/joy-as-wasps-stadium-proposal-is-kicked-into-touch/
📰 BBC News Coverage
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8drg1d4d4o
🏛 Sevenoaks District Council – Updated Local Plan
📄 Development & Infrastructure Advisory Committee Agenda and Reports
https://cds.sevenoaks.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=361&MId=3790&Ver=4&J=1
💚 Together We Have Already Made a Difference
The withdrawal of the WASPS Stadium proposal has shown what determined communities can achieve when they work together.
But our work is not yet finished.
Pedham Place remains one of the largest proposed Green Belt developments in the district, and the coming weeks will be critical as the Local Plan progresses through Regulation 19.
Over the past few years, residents, parish councils and community groups from across Sevenoaks District have shared knowledge, challenged evidence, supported one another and demonstrated the power of constructive community action. That collaboration has become one of this campaign's greatest strengths.
We will continue to ask the difficult questions, scrutinise the evidence, encourage informed public participation and work positively with everyone who shares our ambition for sustainable, infrastructure-led planning.
Thank you for standing with us and for everything you have done to help protect the places we all value.
Whatever the outcome of the next stage, the strength, knowledge and collaboration that has grown through this campaign has already created a lasting legacy for communities across Sevenoaks District.
Together we are stronger. Together we are making a difference.
