Planning Permission and Strategy in Sittingbourne
Planning permission and strategy in Sittingbourne means working out how a site can win consent for new homes before anyone spends money on drawings. Land to Homes reviews local planning policy, constraints and access, chooses the right route, such as outline or full permission, and manages the application from pre-application advice through to a decision.
Sittingbourne · ME10Free site appraisal
Tell us about your land and we will call you back. No cost, no obligation.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Free site appraisalNo cost, no obligation
- Legal fees coveredReasonable fees, on options and promotion
- Nothing to pay upfrontOn promotion: we fund planning
- Direct purchaseSuitable sites, with or without planning
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Sites we take on near Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne sits about 11 miles north-east of Maidstone in Kent, in the ME10 postcode district. The nearest other places we cover are Faversham (7 miles), Gillingham (9 miles) and Chatham (9 miles). Within England, Sittingbourne falls in the South East region.
Projects we can take on around Sittingbourne include plots where access or drainage is the sticking point, sites where the layout needs to change and sites that need a fresh planning strategy. As Sittingbourne is in England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Tell us about the site near Sittingbourne and we will explain how we would take it forward.
What you get in Sittingbourne
Honest about risk
No one can guarantee planning permission. We tell you plainly where the risks sit, what could be done about them and when a site is unlikely to succeed.
Technical work commissioned
Ecology, drainage, highways, flood risk, heritage and ground conditions, as the site requires. We brief each consultant and check their findings against the planning case.
The right application route
Outline, full or another route the rules allow in that nation. We explain why we chose it and what each route means for timing, cost and risk.
Your legal fees covered
On option and promotion agreements we pay your reasonable legal fees, with the amount agreed in the heads of terms before you instruct a solicitor.
Planning and land rules in Sittingbourne
Whether a field or large garden could take homes depends mostly on the council's Local Plan and national policy. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, plans define settlement boundaries, and land just outside Sittingbourne may still come forward if it is allocated, previously developed or meets evidenced unmet housing need. Smaller housing schemes can also use Permission in Principle, an England-only route that settles location, use and amount first. Our free appraisal explains which route suits your land.
In England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework and the council's Local Plan. Most applications must also deliver biodiversity net gain, and larger schemes usually involve a Section 106 agreement and, where a council charges it, the Community Infrastructure Levy. Permission in principle is an extra route available only in England.
| National planning policy | National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), revised August 2026, with national planning practice guidance |
|---|---|
| Who decides applications | The local planning authority, usually the district, borough, city or unitary council (or a national park authority) |
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
Your questions answered for Sittingbourne
What is permission in principle?
Permission in principle is a route in England that settles whether a site is suitable for housing-led development, separately from the technical details, which follow in a technical details consent. It is available only in England. Scotland has planning permission in principle, which works more like an outline permission. Wales and Northern Ireland use outline applications to establish the principle.
Can you guarantee planning permission?
No. Nobody can guarantee planning permission, because the decision rests with the planning authority or, on appeal, an independent appeal body. What we can do is choose sites with genuine prospects, prepare a thorough application and deal with likely objections before they arise. If we think a site is unlikely to succeed, we will tell you.
How long does it take to get planning permission?
It varies with the size of the scheme, the council's workload and whether a legal agreement is needed. Small schemes usually move faster than major applications, which have longer statutory periods and often need a planning obligation. Pre-application advice and good survey work add time at the start but often save time later. We give you a realistic view for your site.
What happens if planning permission is refused?
You can usually appeal, submit a revised application that deals with the reasons for refusal, or wait for planning policy to change. The right choice depends on the reasons given. We review the decision notice, take specialist advice where needed and explain the options. Under a promotion agreement, further planning work is funded by us on the terms set out in the agreement.
Can you manage a site in Sittingbourne from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves in Sittingbourne and elsewhere in Kent, including Broadstairs, Maidstone and Ramsgate, we manage planning, design and construction. Tell us about the site and we will explain how we would approach it.
Read more: Planning Permission and Strategy · Guide: Biodiversity net gain for landowners: what it means for your land