Planning Permission and Strategy in Tonbridge
Land to Homes runs the planning process for residential sites in Tonbridge, from a first look at policy to a decision notice. We build the consultant team, commission the surveys, talk to the council and the community, and prepare the application. Where we promote land, we fund the planning work, and those costs are recovered from the sale proceeds only if the land sells with planning.
Tonbridge · TN9Free site appraisal
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- 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 Tonbridge
Tonbridge (TN9) is one of the Kent towns we cover, about 12 miles south-west of Maidstone. Sevenoaks is the closest neighbouring place we cover, at about 6 miles, followed by Crowborough and Maidstone. Tonbridge is part of England’s South East region.
Near Tonbridge, we look at plots where access or drainage is the sticking point, schemes that need redesigning to work and sites that need a fresh planning strategy. As Tonbridge is in England, applications are judged against the National Planning Policy Framework, and the buyer of land pays Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT).
Send us the site address near Tonbridge and we will tell you what we think the planning route is.
Our approach in Tonbridge
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.
Early engagement
We seek pre-application advice from the council where it is offered, and talk to neighbours and community groups before submitting, so concerns are dealt with early.
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.
Planned around buildable homes
As part of the S&K Group, a construction and property group, we shape schemes around homes that can be built and delivered, not just consented.
How the rules work in Tonbridge
Land with no planning permission can still be sold. Around Tonbridge, the usual routes in England are a direct sale, an option agreement or a promotion agreement, where the planning work is funded for you and the land is sold once consent is granted. Outline planning permission settles the principle, with reserved matters approved later. Section 106 obligations, the Community Infrastructure Levy where charged and biodiversity net gain all affect what a site is worth, so independent advice matters.
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 |
|---|---|
| In-principle consent | Outline planning permission, with reserved matters approved later |
| Land transaction tax (paid by the buyer) | Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) |
| Land registration | HM Land Registry |
Questions about Planning Permission and Strategy in Tonbridge
What is a Section 106 agreement?
A Section 106 agreement is a legal agreement between a council and a landowner or developer that makes a development acceptable in planning terms, for example by securing affordable homes or contributions to schools and roads. It applies in England and Wales. Scotland uses Section 75 agreements and Northern Ireland uses Section 76 planning agreements for similar purposes.
Who pays for a planning application?
Normally whoever makes the application pays the council fee and the cost of the surveys and reports. Under a promotion agreement with Land to Homes, we fund the planning work, and those costs are only recovered from the sale proceeds if the land sells with planning permission. On a direct purchase without planning, the planning cost and risk become ours.
What is the difference between outline and full planning permission?
Outline permission establishes whether development is acceptable in principle, with some or all of the details, known as reserved matters, left for a later application. Full permission approves the detailed scheme in one go. Outline is often used to secure the principle on land before it is sold. In Scotland the equivalent of outline is planning permission in principle.
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 manage a site in Tonbridge from planning to build?
On land we take forward ourselves in Tonbridge and elsewhere in Kent, including Dartford, Gillingham 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: Planning permission explained for landowners