East Peckham Parish Council
Our Village. Our Plan.
Your Voice Matters.
We are now starting work on the Neighbourhood Development Plan for East Peckham. We need every resident, business and community group to help shape the future of our village. This is your chance to have a real, legally binding say in how East Peckham grows and changes over the coming years.
✓ Neighbourhood Area Officially Designated by TMBC— April 2026
What is a Neighbourhood Development Plan?
A Neighbourhood Plan is a powerful community-led document that gives residents a direct say in planning decisions where they live. Introduced by the government’s Localism Act 2011, it is one of the strongest tools a local community has to guide and shape the development of its area.
Once completed and approved by a Local Referendum, a Neighbourhood Plan becomes part of the official planning development framework for our Parish. That means planners and developers must take it into account when considering any new development — it carries real legal weight.
What can it do?
- Set out where new development should — and should not — go within the parish
- Specify the type, size, design and character of new homes and buildings
- Protect important green spaces, local views and heritage assets
- Promote community facilities, local businesses and sustainable transport
- Define what makes East Peckham special — and make sure future development respects that
What can it not do?
A Neighbourhood Plan cannot be used to block all development, and it must align with national and borough-wide planning policy. But it can strongly influence how, where, and what kind of development happens — and that influence is significant.
The Neighbourhood Plan is not about stopping all future development within the village. The best outcomes will not be achieved with a “Not in my back yard” mindset. This process is about finding together the right sites, for the right properties needed in our village, supported by the right infrastructure.
Without a Neighbourhood Plan, developers and Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council make most of the decisions about East Peckham’s future. With one — we can help to shape and influence those decisions.
We need you to be involved!
We really need your help and support to develop the Plan and ensure it is as collaborative and inclusive as possible. Please respond to the surveys and consultations, attend the events and share your views.
Can you spare any time? Whether you can spare an afternoon, a month or bring a specific skill — planning, design, data, communications or local knowledge — we would love to hear from you. Every voice counts.
Survey : Your Village – Your Voice
This first survey is about listening — understanding what residents value, what concerns you, and what you think needs to improve.
Your responses will help shape the draft plan.
Why does it matter for East Peckham?
East Peckham is a unique and cherished parish — a community of nine distinct hamlets set in the Kent countryside, with deep roots, strong character and a way of life worth protecting. But our village faces significant pressures from outside.
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council’s draft Local Plan proposes almost 600 new homes across East Peckham — a scale of growth the Parish Council believes is disproportionate, poorly planned and deeply concerning. The proposed sites sit on flood-prone land, are far from adequate transport links, and would place enormous strain on already-stretched local schools, roads, water and sewage infrastructure.
The Parish Council has formally objected to these proposals. But objections alone are not enough. A Neighbourhood Plan gives us the tools to proactively set out our own vision for the village — one that is evidence-based, community-led and legally binding.
What’s at stake if we don’t act?
- Flooding: East Peckham experiences some of the worst flooding in the Borough. Building on high-risk sites could put homes, businesses and lives in danger.
- Village identity: Large-scale development could merge our hamlets — eroding the character and anti-coalescence that defines who we are.
- Infrastructure: Our school is already full. There is no GP surgery. Our roads are at capacity. More homes without more services is not a plan — it’s a problem.
- The environment: Precious farmland, woodland, wildlife habitats and the Coult Stream corridor must be protected for future generations.
Read the full Parish Council concerns about TMBC’s draft Local Plan »
How does a Neighbourhood Plan come together?
Creating a Neighbourhood Plan is a thorough community-led process. Here’s what’s involved — and where we are right now.Designation of the Neighbourhood Area Done — April 2026
We applied to TMBC to have the parish officially recognised as a Neighbourhood Plan area. This was approved on 9 April 2026. We are now formally authorised to begin. The Local Development Committee is leading the work, and is made up of Parish Councillors and Local Residents.Launch of Neighbourhood Plan – 9th May 2026
We will hold surveys, meetings, drop-in sessions and events to gather evidence about what matters most to residents, businesses and the wider community — housing, green spaces, transport, local businesses, heritage and more. Your views directly shape the plan. We will be discussing how you can get involved. We would love you to be engaged with this as much or as little as you are able.Engagement and Information Gathering
We will hold surveys, meetings, drop in sessions and events to gather evidence about what matters most to residents, businesses and the wider community — housing, green spaces, transport, local businesses, heritage and more. Your views directly shape the plan. We will be arranging Task Groups to help with this process. We would love you to get involved with as much or little time as you are able. We will use this as we develop a Vision and Objectives.Community Feedback (Vision and Objectives)
We will feedback the outcomes from the Survey and develop draft Vision and Objectives for you to consider.Evidence Gathering (Understanding and Policy)
We will gather evidence on housing, green spaces, transport, local businesses, heritage and more.Writing the plan (Policy Formulation)
Using the evidence gathered, the Local Development Committee drafts the Neighbourhood Plan — setting out policies for development and land use across the parish.Technical Reports (Strategic Environmental Assessment & Habitats Regulations Assessment)
Technical Reports are required to move forward with the statutory consultation periods.Statutory Consultation Periods & Submission of Neighbourhood Development Plan
There are two statutory consultation periods (Regulation 14 & Regulation 16) either side of the Neighbourhood Plan being formally submitted to TMBC.Independent Examination
An independent examiner reviews the draft plan to ensure it meets legal requirements and national planning policy.Local Referendum
Every resident on the electoral roll gets a vote. If more than 50% vote yes, the plan is formally adopted and becomes part of the planning framework for East Peckham — legally binding on all planning decisions.Key links and official documents
| TMBC — East Peckham Neighbourhood Area designation decision & map | Official decision record, approved map and delegated report (approved 9 April 2026) |
| TMBC — Neighbourhood Planning information page | TMBC’s guidance on what Neighbourhood Plans are and how they are prepared |
| TMBC — Local Plan | The borough-wide draft Local Plan proposing 586 new homes in East Peckham, currently progressing towards Regulation 19 |
| Parish Council concerns about TMBC’s draft Local Plan | Detailed breakdown of our objections covering flooding, schools, transport, infrastructure and village character |
| GOV.UK — Neighbourhood Planning guidance | The government’s plain-English guide to Neighbourhood Plans — what they are, how to prepare one, and what support is available |
Have Questions?
If you have any questions about the Neighbourhood Plan, or would like to find out more about how to get involved, please get in touch with the Parish Office.
- Phone: 01622 871309 (Weekdays 10:00 am–1:00 pm, closed on Thursdays)
- Email: communityresponse@eastpeckham-pc.gov.uk
- Post: The Parish Office, Jubilee Hall, Pippin Road, East Peckham, Tonbridge, Kent TN12 5BT
Follow us on Facebook for the latest updates on the Neighbourhood Plan.
How we will keep you informed
- This website
- Banners and posters displayed around the village
- Leaflets and flyers
- Social Media (Facebook)
Let us know how else we can keep you updated.
Get involved — your village needs you
Whether you can spare an afternoon a month or bring a specific skill — planning, design, data, communications or local knowledge — we want to hear from you. Every voice counts.
Local Development Committee Members
Mark Williams
Chair of Parish Council
Chair of Local Development Committee
Parish Councillor
David Seal
Vice-Chair Parish Council
Parish Councillor
Sophie North
Parish Councillor
Tracy Hendry-Lewis
Parish Councillor
Katie White
Vice Chair Local Development Committee
Resident Member
Stuart Milligan
Resident Member
Richard Packham
Resident Member
Rachel Packham
Resident Member
Marc Crouch
Resident Member
Marion Foster
Resident Member
Daniel White
Resident Member