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Sevenoaks District Council
Local Plan 2015-2035:
Settlement Hierarchy
April 2018
Page | 2
Executive Summary p. 2
1. Introduction p. 4
2. Policy Context p. 6
3. District Profile p. 8
4. Approach to the Settlement Hierarchy p. 11
5. Updated Settlement Hierarchy for the Local Plan 2015-2035 p. 15
6. Settlement Profiles p. 22
7. Conclusions p. 24
Page | 3
Executive Summary
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) encourages Local Planning Authorities
(LPAs) to identify within their Local Plans, appropriate locations for development. These
should account for social, economic and environmental opportunities and ensure that the
location of development is sustainable. The Settlement Hierarchy is a useful tool to
determine the role of settlements, according to a number of factors including population size,
services available within a settlement, consideration of Green Belt boundaries and transport
connections.
The Settlement Hierarchy for Sevenoaks District has 5 settlement classifications, ranking
from the most sustainable (Principal Town Centre) to the least sustainable type of
settlements (Hamlets):
Principal Town – Sevenoaks Urban Area (Sevenoaks Town including Bessels Green,
Chipstead, Dunton Green and Riverhead),
Towns - Swanley, Edenbridge (including Marlpit Hill) and Westerham
Local Service Centres – Hartley, New Ash Green and Otford
Villages – West Kingsdown, South Darenth, Hextable, Seal, Brasted, Kemsing,
Eynsford, Crockenhill, Halstead, Leigh, Farningham, Sevenoaks Weald, Knockholt
(with Knockholt Pound), Sundridge, Shoreham, Four Elms, and Horton Kirby..
Hamlets – Penshurst, Hever, Fawkham, Ide Hill, Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone
Causeway, Badgers Mount, Cowden, Underriver, Crockham Hill, Fordcombe, Hodsoll
Street, Ash, Stone Street, Mark Beech, Swanley Village, Chiddingstone Hoath, Toys
Hill, Well Hill, Chevening, Knatts Valley, Bough Beech, Bitchet Green, Heaverham,
Godden Green, Mark Beech and Pratts Bottom.
N.B. Settlements which have been underlined are washed over by the Green Belt. While
Badgers Mount has been classified as a Hamlet due to limited facilities and services, the
settlement has a defined Green Belt boundary.
Page | 4
1. Introduction
1.1 In 2011, the Council adopted a Core Strategy which sets out the overarching strategy
and vision for the District up to 2026 and identified a number of key strategic policies
to how the vision would be delivered. However, the Government has, since then,
introduced new national planning policy and guidance, which govern how Local
Planning Authorities go about the plan-making process. This includes the National
Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) in 2012 and the National Planning Practice
Guidance (NPPG).
1.2 The Council also adopted its Allocations and Development Management Plan (ADMP)
in February 2015, which was found sound at public examination and in line with the
NPPF. The ADMP states the Council’s commitment to review its pre-NPPF Core
Strategy, so it reflects national policy and guidance. As such, the Council is currently
undertaking a review of the Core Strategy and is currently preparing a new Local Plan
which will cover the Plan period 2015-2035. To achieve this, the Council is preparing
a new evidence base to reflect the current circumstances of Sevenoaks District. Once
completed, the new Local Plan will replace the current Core Strategy and ADMP.
1.3 The Settlement Hierarchy for Sevenoaks District is a key piece of evidence that will
be used to prepare the emerging Local Plan 2015-2035. It helps to define the role and
function of each settlement within the District. This document will help inform the
profile of settlements as well as their capacity to accommodate future development
requirements.
1.4 The Sevenoaks District has a number of settlements, varying in size, character and
function across the District. These include a number of urban areas, villages and
hamlets which consist of only a small number of homes.
1.5 The settlement hierarchy is a way of categorising an area’s settlements to recognise
their different roles. The hierarchy groups together the settlements that have similar
characteristics. At the top of the hierarchy are the larger settlements that fulfil the
most functions, have the best infrastructure (facilities and services) and are the most
accessible by sustainable forms of transport. The smaller settlements, with fewer
functions, infrastructure and transport links are nearer to the bottom of the hierarchy.
This will help the Council determine which settlements are most suitable to
accommodate additional growth (Figure 1).
Page | 5
Figure 1 – Example of a Settlement Hierarchy
1.6 The Sevenoaks District Settlement Hierarchy was first prepared in 2007/2008 and
subsequently updated in July 2009 and October 2014. The Authority Monitoring
Report 2014/15 reports on changes to the 2014 Settlement Hierarchy in accordance
with the Core Strategy and ADMP monitoring indicators.
1.7 The purpose of this report is to outline the new Settlement Hierarchy for the
Sevenoaks District and how it will help prepare the emerging Local Plan 2015-2035.
The Hierarchy:
Provides a brief overview of the national and local planning policy context;
Describes the broad methodology used to develop the Hierarchy; and
Outlines and justifies the classification of each of District’s settlements.
Settlements with the best access to services (most sustainable)
Settlements without access to services (least sustainable)
Page | 6
2 Policy Context
2.1 National Policy Context
2.1.1 National planning policy states that any development should take place within
the most sustainable and deliverable locations. The National Planning Policy
Framework (NPPF) states that a series of land-planning principles should be
used when undertaking plan-making and decision-taking, in order to maintain
sustainable development. Paragraph 17 of the NPPF outlines the principles of
development stating that “[…] every effort should be made objectively to identify
and then met the housing business and other development needs of an area and
respond positively to wider opportunities to grow”, while promoting “[…] mixed
use developments, and encourage multiple benefits from the use of land in urban
and rural areas, recognising that some open land can preform many functions (such
as wildlife, recreation, flood risk mitigation, carbon storage, or food production)”.
2.1.2 The NPPF additionally states that the plan-making processes for development
should “not simply be about scrutiny, but instead be a creative exercise in finding
ways to enhance and improve the places in which people live their lives”
(paragraph 17). Furthermore, Local authorities should define a network and
hierarchy of centres that is resilient to anticipated future economic changes.
2.1.3 The NPPF sets out individual planning policies for specific elements of
development, in order to achieving sustainable development. In regards to the
development of town centres, paragraph 23 states that local planning
authorities should “recognise town centres as the heart of their communities and
pursue policies to support their viability and vitality” with “[…] town centres in
decline, local planning authorities should plan for positively for their future to
encourage economic activity”. This includes the development of strong rural
economies, which is important for a majority of settlements within the
Sevenoaks District. Paragraph 28 of the NPPF states that Local Authorities
should promote and retain the local services and community services within
village as these are important community assets.
2.2 Local Policy Context
2.2.1 Sevenoaks District Council is now preparing a new Local Plan. The Council has
produced adopted policies through the Sevenoaks District Core Strategy
(adopted February 2011) and the Allocations and Development Management
Plan (ADMP) (adopted February 2015) to reflect national planning policy and
guidance. The over-arching aims of the Core Strategy’s Spatial Vision promote
sustainable development within the District in the plan period, up to 2026,
including the commitment “to locate development in sustainable locations on
previously developed land, ensuring that the main focus for major developments is
in Sevenoaks, Swanley and Edenbridge” (ADMP paragraph. 1.5).
2.2.2 The policies within the ADMP are reflective of the adopted policies within the
Core Strategy, while maintaining compliance with the NPPF at the national
Page | 7
level. ADMP Policy SC1 sets out that all development within the District will
be in favour of sustainable development whereby “[…] the Council will take a
positive approach that reflects the presumption in favour of sustainable
development contained within the National Planning Policy Framework”.
2.2.3 This allows the Sevenoaks District to develop in a positive and sustainable
manner. The Council is aware of the constraints that affect development
within the District and have adopted policies that take these into account. This
accounts to the protection of community services and amenity, within
settlements of the District especially rural settlements. The ADMP recognises
that local shopping provision is important to many settlements within the
District and small scale retail development should be allowed in scale with the
settlement. This can be split into town and local centre. A town centre can be
defined with uses including:
Retail development (including warehouse clubs and factory outlet
centres);
Leisure, entertainment facilities and the more intensive sport and
recreation uses (including cinema, restaurants, drive-through
restaurants, bars and pubs, night-clubs, casinos, health and fitness
centres, indoor bowls centres and bingo halls);
Offices; and
Arts, culture and tourism development (including theatres, museums,
galleries and concert halls, hotels and conference facilities)
2.2.4 For a local centre, it can be defined as locally significantly areas of retail to
which specific retail policies apply, in accordance with the NPPF.
2.2.5 Under Core Strategy Policy LO7, the Council seeks to retain local services and
facilities, in order to manage the sustainability of rural locations and
settlements, including the local character and the needs for services. This has
been extended within the ADMP whereby neighbourhood services within
urban confines are equally important as those services that can be lost in rural
settlements (ADMP Policy CF2).
2.3 Emerging Local Plan 2015-35
2.3.1 Following the adoption of the ADMP, the Council committed to reviewing the
Local Plan within five years. The emerging Local Plan will be based on up-to-
date evidence bases, including demographic changes, and the need for new
homes, employment and retail land across the District. Based on an increase in
population growth, headline figures suggest that the District has a housing
need of an additional 12,400 homes across the new pan period (2015 to 2035)
and requires approximately 11.6 hectares of employment land.
2.3.2 It is expected that development will be distributed and delivered according the
sustainability of the settlements within the District. The Settlement Hierarch
Page | 8
will therefore help determine the general distribution of development in the
new Local Plan, and will form as an evidence base to this.
Page | 9
3. District Profile
3.1 Sevenoaks District is a predominantly rural district with approximately 93% of land
within the district designated as Green Belt. There are also two Areas of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (AONB) which covers approximately 60% of land in the District.
There is the North Kent Downs to the north of the district and the High Weald to the
south. Both land designations are important in terms of national planning policy and
guidance, with AONBs seen as landscapes of national importance.
3.2 The district has a number of major roads including the M25, M26, M20, A25, A20 and
A21 (Figure 2). These provide access to Greater London, Gatwick, Heathrow and
Stanstead airports, and the Channel Ports as well as Ashford and Ebbsfleet
international stations. Rail services are focused on links to London though services
also serve towards the Kent/Sussex coasts, Gatwick (via Redhill and Edenbridge),
Uckfield and East Croydon. A majority of the larger settlements have a rail station, as
well as a number of the smaller settlements and villages.
3.3 There are 56 settlements within Sevenoaks District. As it is predominately rural, there
are a number of villages and smaller settlements as well as some well defined urban
areas. Approximately half of the settlements within the District have a defined Green
Belt boundary. These tend to be the larger settlements and villages and the remainder
are washed over by the Green Belt:
Settlements with defined Green Belt
boundaries
Settlements washed over by the Green
Belt
Sevenoaks Town Penshurst
Riverhead Ide Hill
Dunton Green Chiddingstone
Chipstead Four Elms
Bessels Green Chiddingstone Causeway
Edenbridge with Marlpitt Hill Fawkham
Swanley Hever
Westerham Fordcombe
Otford Crockham Hill
New Ash Green Cowden
Hartley Underriver
West Kingsdown Ash
Seal Hodsoll Street
Horton Kirby Toys Hill
South Darenth Bough Beech
Kemsing Chiddingstone Hoath
Brasted Swanley Village
Hextable Stone Street
Eynsford Mark Beech
Crockenhill Marsh Green
Halstead Well Hill
Page | 10
Farningham Knatts Valley
Knockholt with Knockholt Pound Chevening
Sevenoaks Weald Heaverham
Leigh Godden Green
Shoreham Bitchet Green
Sundridge Mark Beech
Badgers Mount Pratts Bottom
3.4 Settlements across the district provide a range of facilities and services which support
the day to day activities of residents, with some settlements having a wider and
greater number of services than others. Due to the rural character of the Sevenoaks
District, a number of smaller settlements have a limited number of services and
facilities available to them, and residents may travel to the large settlements and
surrounding areas outside of the District to use particular services. It is worth noting
that some settlements are washed over by the Green Belt and have a greater number
of services and facilities than those settlements which have Green Belt boundaries.
Page | 11
Figure 2 – Sevenoaks District
Page | 12
4. Approach to the Settlement Hierarchy
4.1 This section details the methodology and justification for producing the Settlement
Hierarchy. As the NPPF states, local plans “are the key to delivering sustainable
development that reflects the vision and aspirations of local communities” (para. 150) and
should seek to achieve sustainable development across social, economic and
environment dimensions (para. 152). Therefore, it is important that the Local Plan
allocates potential development sites in sustainable locations which would meet the
future requirements of residents.
Paragraph 17 of the NPPF outlines the principles of development stating that “[…]
every effort should be made objectively to identify and then met the housing business and
other development needs of an area and respond positively to wider opportunities to
grow”, while promoting “[…] mixed use developments, and encourage multiple benefits
from the use of land in urban and rural areas, recognising that some open land can preform
many functions (such as wildlife, recreation, flood risk mitigation, carbon storage, or food
production)”.
4.2 The Settlement Hierarchy uses the following criteria to determine the position and
grouping of settlements:
Criteria Used Justification
The population of a
settlement
The given population of a settlement is a good
indication of its size. This can then be used
proportionally against the other criteria to determine
the position of a settlement in the hierarchy.
The range of facilities and
services available in the
settlement for the
community to meet its day-
to-day requirements
The range of facilities and services available in each
settlement given an indication to how sustainable a
settlement is. It also gives an indication as to
whether some settlements depend on other
settlements to provide facilities and services for its
residents.
The settlement’s access to
education
Access to education is considered as a key service
for a settlement and the local community. Access to
education encompasses all forms of education
provision (i.e. primary, secondary, higher education
such as colleges).
The settlement’s access to
health services
Access to health services is an important service
within a community. Therefore, this is identified as a
facility that contributes to a sustainable settlement.
The settlement’s connectivity
and access to public
transport
It is important that that a settlement is connected by
public transport and other allows greater
choice/opportunities for residents to travel.
Therefore, public transport and connectivity with
surrounding settlements is important when looking
at sustainability.
Page | 13
It is important to note that a number of other factors could not have been included as
part of the hierarchy assessment. These are detailed in the table below.
Criteria rejected Justification
Car Ownership /
Usage
High reliance on private ownership has been, anecdotally,
one of the main contributors which undermine what is
considered to be a sustainable location for development. This
can lead to arguments of increased congestion on the road
network.
Whilst some areas within the District rely on the use of a
private vehicle to travel because of a lack of public transport,
the issue can be considered as subjective in the wider
context. It is a question of choice and whether there are
suitable alternative modes of transport available. This may
result in residents still using private vehicles, despite a wide
choice of other modes (i.e. buses, trains, cycling) due to other
contributing factors. Therefore it would be unwise to draw a
direct correlation between the use of a private vehicle and
sustainability.
In addition, the number of vehicles within a location can not
directly correlate with the sustainability of a settlement as it
is dependent on individual social and economic
requirements/factors (e.g. mobility requirements, individual
wealth, number of people living within one household etc.).
Therefore, for these reasons, this aspect was not accounted
for within the assessment process.
Car parking
The issue of car parking is equally subjective when looking at
the sustainability of a settlement.
There are two types of car parking that can be identified for
the purposes of assessment; individual and communal.
Individual car parking can be described as car parking that is
available for a household that it designated off-road or
private for the sole benefit of residents. Communal car
parking can be described as on-street car parking without
restrictions or parking to access goods and services (i.e.
town/village centres).
Like car ownership, it is a question of choice and individual
circumstance. The amount of car parking available is useful to
a number of residents who depend on available car parking
to access services and facilities. However, the level of car
Page | 14
parking available is not an indicator to whether a location is
sustainable.
Therefore, for these reasons, this aspect was not accounted
for within the assessment process.
Travel to work
patterns
The NPPF is clear that unsustainable travel patterns should
not be exacerbated and access to jobs near homes should be
available to ensure sustainability.
Whilst this certainly a valid consideration in terms of
developing sustainable communities, it is not realistic to
assume that if there are local jobs within the area, that a local
person will fill that job. Furthermore, Sevenoaks District has
excellent links with London (i.e. rail and road) where there
high-skilled residents are able to find a variety of well-paid
positions and it is not plausible to assume that the local area
or surrounding Districts and Boroughs can compete with this.
As a result, employment is considered to be a choice for a
resident and therefore, consideration for travel to work
patterns will not be taken into account and will not influence
the settlement hierarchy.
4.3 Population of Settlements
4.3.1 The population of a settlement is a good indication of its size. This can then be
used proportionally against the other criteria to determine the position of a
settlement in the hierarchy. It also gives and indication as to whether
settlements are over or under provided with services and facilities.
4.4 Settlement Services and Facilities Audit
4.4.1 A range of services and facilities were identified as contributing to the
sustainability of settlements. This includes key retail services, community
facilities, health and education provision, as well as transport connections.
These were taken as the basis for an audit of each settlement.
4.4.2 None of the individual services have been prioritised or weighted apart from
public transport where, for example an all day service scores higher than a
peak only service. Some services were deemed as making an essential
contribution towards the sustainability of a settlement especially when
grouped together. These were classified as “key sustainability
services/facilities”.
Page | 15
4.4.3 On-site surveys were undertaken to determine what services each of the
District’s settlements provided. This was based on a points system whereby a
single point would be awarded for each service/facility present within a
settlement. For example, if a settlement contained two primary schools, two
points would be awarded.
4.4.4 Audits were sent out to town and parish councils for checking, as it is
important that no services or facilities are missed from the audit. For the
purposes of clarity, each town and parish council received one audit sheet
which detailed all settlements within their parish area, along with the services
and facilities in each area.
4.4.5 A total “Facility Score” was then calculated for each settlement which enabled
them to be ranked accordingly to the range of services and facilities they
currently provide. A further point was awarded for a settlement having a
Green Belt boundary. Each scoring mechanism will be expanded upon in the
next section.
4.4.6 National Policy stresses the importance of transport and access as a key
indicator to successful, sustainable development. An analysis of transport links
(i.e. bus and train services) are included, and are included as a separate score
from the Facility score, but will be combined with the total settlement score.
This analysis will focus on both peak and off-peak services per hour.
Page | 16
5. Updated Settlement Hierarchy for the Local Plan 2015-2035
5.1 Population
5.1.1 As the 2011 Census population data is considered out of date, an approximate
population figure for each settlement was derived from the mid-2015
population projections1 from the Office of National Statistics using Output
Area (OA) data. In most cases, Output Area boundaries do not coincide with
defined settlement boundaries. If part of the settlement falls within a
particular OA, then this was included in the total for the settlement. The
quoted population may therefore slightly exceed the population living within
the defined settlement boundary.
5.1.2 For some very small settlements it was not possible to calculate a settlement’s
population due to the geographical limitations with OA data. Where this was
the case, an estimate for each settlement is given based on the electoral role
(adding an extra 25% for those not eligible to vote).
5.1.3 A point was then awarded for every 1000th resident within the settlement. It is
important to note that the populations have not been rounded up for the
purposes of the scoring.
Table 1: Settlement Population and Scores
Settlement Population (ONS mid
2015 projection)
Population Score (per
1000th resident)
Sevenoaks Urban Area
(Areas outside of the green
belt including Sevenoaks
Town, Bessels Green,
Chipstead, Dunton Green
and Riverhead)
29,218 29
Swanley 16,112 16
Edenbridge (including
Marlpitt Hill) 8,847 8
New Ash Green 5,941 5
Hartley 4,800 4
West Kingsdown 4,667 4
Kemsing 4,073 4
Hextable 4,044 4
Otford 3,474 3
Westerham 3,368 3
South Darenth 2,130 2
Eynsford 1,674 1
1 Office of National Statistics (ONS) mid-2015 population projections (October 2016)
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/censusoutputareaestimatesinthesoutheastregionofengland
Page | 17
Seal 1,590 1
Crockenhill 1,574 1
Leigh 1,274 1
Farningham 1,204 1
Halstead 1,063 1
Horton Kirby 1,002 1
Brasted 878 0
Sundridge 846 0
Sevenoaks Weald 812 0
Shoreham 804 0
Penshurst 762 0
Knockholt 754 0
Ide Hill 722 0
Swanley Village 712 0
Badgers Mount 647 0
Four Elms 602 0
Hodsoll Street 561 0
Cowden 517 0
Knatts Valley 484 0
Bough Beech 437 0
Fawkham 429 0
Chiddingstone Causeway 418 0
Chiddingstone Hoath 409 0
Ash 376 0
Stone Street 365 0
Hever 358 0
Underriver 335 0
Crockham Hill 326 0
Toys Hill 316 0
Mark Beech 311 0
Fordcombe 309 0
Bitchet Green 305 0
Well Hill 278 0
Heaverham 255 0
Chevening 250 0
5.2 Green Belt Boundaries
5.2.1 Current policy in the NPPF stresses the importance of protecting the Green
Belt, by identifying appropriate development opportunities within existing
settlement boundaries (i.e. brownfield land). As paragraph 80 of the NPPF
states the function of the Green Belt is to check unrestricted sprawl from
large built up areas, as well as protecting the merging of towns and protecting
the countryside from encroachment.
Page | 18
5.2.2 Therefore, settlements with defined Green Belt boundaries are more likely to
be sustainable locations, than those settlements that are washed over by the
Green Belt. This can to due to identifying potential urban renewal and
regeneration opportunities with vacant brownfield sites within larger town
and villages.
The following settlements have a defined Green Belt boundary and therefore will
receive one point
Sevenoaks Town Riverhead
Dunton Green Kemsing
Chipstead Brasted
Bessels Green Hextable
Edenbridge with Marlpitt Hill Eynsford
Swanley Crockenhill
Westerham Halstead
Otford Farningham
New Ash Green Knockholt with Knockholt Pound
Hartley Sevenoaks Weald
West Kingsdown Leigh
Seal Shoreham
Horton Kirby Sundridge
South Darenth Badgers Mount
N.B - As all other settlements within the District are washed over by Green Belt (see
para. 3.3), those settlements will not receive a point
5.3 Facility Scoring
5.3.1 It is important to understand the number of facilities and services that are
available for the local community to meet their day-to-day needs. The table
below lists a number of services and facilities that can a settlement may have
available.
5.3.2 Some services were deemed as making an essential contribution towards the
sustainability of a settlement especially when grouped together. These were
classified as “key sustainability services/facilities”. Settlements with four or
more services have been highlighted during the assessment of each
settlement.
Type Facilities/Services Included Key Service?
Transport
Rail Services (3, 2 & 1 peak services per
hour and all day) Y
Bus Services (3, 2 & 1 peak services per
hour and all day) Y
Education Primary School Y
Secondary School
Page | 19
Employment Designated Business Areas
Health Doctors Surgery Y
Dentist
Retail Service
Providers
Post Office Y
Bank/Building Society
Superstore (over 2,500 sq. m. trading
floorspace selling food and non-food)
Supermarket (under 2,500 sq. m. trading
floorspace selling food and non-food)
Small Local Store Y
Other Shops & Services (e.g.
butchers/hairdressers)
Pubs/Takeaways/Restaurants/Tea
Rooms
Community Facilities
Community Hall Y
Permanent Library
Mobile Library
Place of Worship
Recycling Facilities
Recreation Ground including Cricket
Ground
Synthetic Turf Pitch
Children’s Play Area/Provision for Young
People
Major Indoor Sports & Leisure Facility
5.3.3 Below shows the total facility score for each individual settlement, taking into
account the criteria that has been outlined in paragraph 5.3.2. Each service
and facility has been given 1 point, or more if there are multiple of the same
facility. For example:
If the settlement has a single doctor’s surgery, it would score one
point;
If the settlement has three primary schools, then it would score three
points, one for each school;
Points for “other shops & facilities” are determined by the number of
units which are still in use, according to the District’s town and local
centre retail monitoring. This usually accounts for high scores in the
top tier settlements in the hierarchy calculations.
Settlements that have 4 or more key facilities have been identified in Table 2
(see below). This indicates the more sustainable locations which may be able
to support future development.
Page | 20
Table 2: Settlements and Facilities Scores
Settlement Facility Score 4+ Key Services?
Sevenoaks Town 468 Y
Edenbridge (including Marlpitt Hill) 117 Y
Swanley 116 Y
Westerham 87 Y
New Ash Green 53 Y
Riverhead 51 Y
Otford 47 Y
Hartley 41 Y
West Kingsdown 28 Y
Brasted 26
South Darenth 26 Y
Seal 25 Y
Hextable 23 Y
Eynsford 22 Y
Dunton Green 21 Y
Kemsing 21 Y
Crockenhill 20 Y
Halstead 18 Y
Leigh 16
Sevenoaks Weald 15
Sundridge 15
Farningham 14
Four Elms 14
Knockholt 14 Y
Shoreham 13
Ide Hill 12 Hever 11
Penshurst 11
Chiddingstone 10
Fawkham 10
Horton Kirby 10
Chiddingstone Causeway 8
Chipstead 7
Badgers Mount 6
Cowden 6
Crockham Hill 6
Fordcombe 6
Underriver 6
Ash 5
Bessels Green 5
Hodsoll Street 5
Stone Street 5
Page | 21
Mark Beech 4
Chevening 3
Chiddingstone Hoath 3
Knatts Valley 3
Swanley Village 3
Toys Hill 3
Well Hill 3
Bitchet Green 2
Bough Beech 2
Godden Green 2
Heaverham 2
Marsh Green 0 Pratts Bottom 0
5.4 Transport Links
5.4.1 Due to the proximity of London and other large employment centres, the
District has good transport connections, in particular with rail transport. There
are four rail lines that run through the District:
The London to Tonbridge mainline servicing Sevenoaks, Dunton Green
and Knockholt;
The Swanley to Maidstone East line servicing Kemsing, Otford,
Eynsford, Shoreham and Swanley;
The Tonbridge to Redhill (via Edenbridge) line which services Leigh,
Chiddingstone Causeway and Edenbridge; and
The Uckfield to London line servicing Cowden, Hever and Edenbridge.
5.4.2 Sevenoaks and Edenbridge have two stations available which offer different
services to different destinations. Sevenoaks Station and Bat & Ball station
both have services to London Terminals as does Edenbridge Town.
Edenbridge Station also has access to Gatwick Airport via services along the
Tonbridge to Redhill line. However there is no direct service between
Sevenoaks and Edenbridge.
5.4.3 While rail services are important to the District, there are a number of key
strategic roads within the District linking up settlements to the Kent strategic
road network. Important roads and highways include:
The A25 which runs across the central region of the District.
Settlements that rely on the A25 include Westerham, Sundridge,
Brasted, Riverhead, Sevenoaks Town and Seal.
The A224 and A225 run north to south through the District and are
used by settlements such as Sevenoaks Urban Area, Knockholt and
Halstead, as well as Otford, Enysford, and Farningham.
The A20 heading through Swanley to London.
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The District has the M25, M26 and M20 running through it which it a
key part national strategic road network.
5.4.4 The table below outlines the average number of rail services per hour at each
station only, both during peak and off-peak periods. The definition of peak and
off-peak services can vary, according to different train operators, and what
time they arrive at a particular destination. Therefore for the purposes of
clarity, “peak” and “off-peak” services have been defined as the following:
Peak – services that depart from a station between 07:00 and 10:00.
Off-peak – services that depart from a station after 10:00
Table 3: Settlements with Railway Stations and Service Frequency
Settlements with Rail Services Available Services Available per hour
Peak Off Peak Chiddingstone Causeway (Penshurst Station) 1 1 Cowden 2 1 Dunton Green 3 2 Edenbridge (Services to Redhill/Gatwick) 1 1 Edenbridge Town (Services to London) 2 1 Eynsford 2 2 Hartley (Longfield Station which is located out-of-District)
3 3
Hever 1 1 Kemsing 2 1 Knockholt 2 2 Leigh 2 1 Otford 3 2 Sevenoaks (Mainline services) 5 3 Sevenoaks (Metro services) 3 3 Sevenoaks (Services via Bat & Ball station) 2 2 Shoreham 2 2
Swanley 2 1
5.6 All factors described in this section are taken into account when preparing the final
Hierarchy. The final Settlement Hierarchy can be found in Table 4.
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Table 4: Final Settlement Hierarchy for Sevenoaks District
Settlement
Classification Settlement
Population
of
Settlement2
Combined
Population,
Services, Green
Belt &
Employment
Score
4+ Key
Sustainability
Services/Facilities?
Principal
Town
Sevenoaks Urban
Area (Sevenoaks Town
including Bessels
Green, Chipstead,
Dunton Green and
Riverhead)
29,218 587 Y
Towns
Swanley 16,112 135 Y
Edenbridge (including
Marlpitt Hill) 8,847 126 Y
Westerham 3,368 92 Y
Local Service
Centres
New Ash Green 5,941 59 Y
Otford 3,474 51 Y
Hartley 4,800 46 Y
Villages
West Kingsdown 4,667 33
South Darenth 2,130 30 Y
Hextable 4,044 28 Y
Seal 1,590 27
Brasted 878 27
Kemsing 4,073 26 Y
Eynsford 1,674 24 Y
Crockenhill 1,574 22 Y
Halstead 1,063 20 Y
Leigh 1,274 18
Farningham 1,204 16
Sevenoaks Weald 812 16
Sundridge 846 16
Knockholt (including
Knockholt Pound) 754 15 Y
Shoreham 804 14
Four Elms 602 14
Hamlets
Horton Kirby 1,002 12
Ide Hill 722 12
Penshurst 762 11
2 Figures are taken from the mid-2015 population projections from the Office of National Statistics (October16
2016). See paragraph 5.1.2 for further information on population methodology. An asterisk (*) denotes that there was insufficient data for the desired Output Area (OA).
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Hever 358 11
Fawkham 429 10
Chiddingstone * 10 Y
Chiddingstone
Causeway 418 8 Y
Badgers Mount 647 7
Cowden 517 6
Underriver 335 6
Crockham Hill 326 6
Fordcombe 309 6
Hodsoll Street 561 5
Ash 376 5
Stone Street 365 4
Mark Beech 311 3
Swanley Village 712 3
Chiddingstone Hoath 409 3
Toys Hill 316 3
Well Hill 278 3
Chevening 250 3
Knatts Valley 484 3
Bough Beech 437 2
Bitchet Green 305 2
Heaverham 255 2
Godden Green * 2
Marsh Green * 0
Pratts Bottom * 0
N.B. Settlements which have been underlined are washed over by the Green Belt. While
Badgers Mount has been classified as a Hamlet due to limited facilities and services, the
settlement has a defined Green Belt boundary.
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6. Settlement Profiles
6.1 Principal Town
Settlement: Sevenoaks Urban Area (Sevenoaks Town, Dunton Green, Riverhead, Chipstead
and Bessels Green)
The Sevenoaks Urban Area compromises Sevenoaks town, Riverhead, Dunton Green,
Chipstead and Bessels Green. The area has been designated as the District’s Principal
Town as it has the greatest population (29,218) and the greatest number of services
and facilities (overall score: 587).
6.2 Towns
Settlements: Swanley Edenbridge (including Marlpitt Hill) & Westerham
Swanley has the second largest population in the District with 16,112 residents. It is
also one the District’s major employment centres. Swanley has good rail and bus
connections to surrounding areas and central London, with retail provision focused
towards convenience facilities and services. Additionally, there are primary and
secondary schools within the town. This is reflected within the overall score (135).
Edenbridge is the third largest settlement within the Sevenoaks District, with 8,172
inhabitants. There are a good range of services and facilities (overall score: 126) that
are available for residents (including a Major Indoor Sports & Leisure Centre), yet it
lacks in providing a full range of services (i.e. a secondary school) or employment
opportunities.
Westerham is a designated a Town Centre and has a greater number of service and
facilities available to residents (overall score: 92) than the Local Service Centres.
6.4 Local Service Centre
Settlements: Hartley, New Ash Green, Otford
Local Service Centres do not offer as wide a range of services and facilities as Town
Centres. However, they do offer a proportionate range of services, facilities and
employment opportunities for the daily needs of the local community and
surrounding settlements.
6.5 Villages
Settlement: South Darenth, Hextable, Seal, Brasted, Kemsing, Eynsford, Crockenhill,
Halstead, Leigh, Farningham, Sevenoaks Weald, Knockholt, Sundridge,. Shoreham, Four
Elms,
These settlements are smaller than those further up the Hierarchy and offer fewer
services and facilities. However, many of these settlements have 4 or more “key
sustainability services/facilities”. In addition, they all have defined Greenbelt
boundaries (except Four Elms) which means that, within these boundaries, there are
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opportunities for potential small scale or minor development. This is reflective of the
total service scores for each settlement..
6.6 Hamlets
Settlement: Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone Causeway, Badgers Mount, Cowden, Underriver,
Crockham Hill, Fordcombe, Hodsoll Street, Ash, Stone Street, Mark Beech, Swanley Village,
Chiddingstone Hoath, Toys Hill Well Hill, Chevening, Knatts Valley, Bough Beech,
Heaverham, Godden Green, Marsh Green. Penshurst, Hever, Fawkham, Ide Hill, Horton
Kirby
These Hamlets have very small populations (fewer than 1,000 inhabitants) and have a
limited range of services and facilities). All the settlements in this classification are
washed over by Green Belt (excluding Badgers Mount). As such, it would be
unrealistic to expect these settlements to accommodate much new development.
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7. Conclusions
7.1 The District has a number of settlements all offering a different variety of services
and facilities to meet the day-to-day needs of the community. The settlements range
from towns to small hamlets spread across the District.