United House

Goldsel Road, Swanley

Planning Potential have advised on the redevelopment potential of this site since 2007, and have built a close working relationship with United Living.

Following the emergence of the Sevenoaks Local Development Framework (LDF), we worked in collaboration with Sevenoaks District Council to bring this important site forward for development, through the Council’s Allocations and Development Management Plan (ADMP).

On behalf of our clients, we also provided detailed written representations on the Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), the draft Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) document and the Core Strategy document. In addition, we provided oral representation at the examination of this key Council document.

In order to build a strong case to argue this employment site was surplus to local requirements, we reviewed the Council’s emerging evidence-based documentation, including the Employment Land Review and the Open Space Strategy. We provided our clients with advice on the implications of these reports and the redevelopment potential of the site. We were also able to work with local agents to provide the Council with marketing evidence that demonstrated the site was no longer needed for employment uses.

Throughout the Council’s LDF process, we met regularly with officers and members to demonstrate the willingness of our client to redevelop the site for the most effective and efficient use, and demonstrated how we considered the site to be wholly suitable for residential development with a mix of dwelling sizes, parking and amenity space.

Consultation and continued engagement with council officers and members has been key to unlocking the potential of this site.

Summary of achievements

  • Provided advice in relation to the redevelopment potential of the site
  • Submitted representations to Sevenoaks Council in relation to their LDF
  • Represented our client at the Core Strategy Examination
  • Provided planning policy advice
  • Ongoing liaison and contact with the Local Planning Authority