Forty per cent of the homes would be for social and affordable rent, and shared ownership
Masterplan for the new estate of 125 homes for Spratsbrook Farm off Eridge Road in Tunbridge Wells – Dandara South East Ltd(Image: Dandara)
A plan has been submitted for 125 homes on 53 acres of fields which sweep right up to the “back garden fences” of homes in Tunbridge Wells. The development proposed for crop-growing farmland is from Dandara South East Ltd, which built the large residential development on Union House at the end of The Pantiles.
This latest plan submitted to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council would see access from the A26 Eridge Road, a busy road which links the town to Crowborough in East Sussex. The land is behind homes in Ramslye Road which is in the long-established estate popular with families, called Ramslye.
Nearly 31 per cent of the farmland would be built on, as per Local Plan restrictions, says the application. “The site is bound by the back-garden fence of properties on Ramslye Road to the north. Eridge Road (A26) forms the eastern boundary and will be the main road serving the new housing development,” it states.
Forty per cent of the homes would be affordable housing – for social and affordable rent, and shared ownership – and they would be integrated throughout the estate. All the affordable homes will be accessible and adaptable, with three ‘wheelchair user homes’. The affordable and the private market homes will be two, three and four bed houses, and there’ll be 243 parking spaces.
A plan has been submitted for 125 homes on 40 acres of fields which sweep right up to the “back garden fences” of homes in Kent(Image: Dandara)
Five per centre of the homes will be self build. The estate will also have 17 hectares of open space including play provision. There were no letters in support or objection of the plans at the time of writing (January 26).
The land sits between Friezland Wood, Ramslye Wood and Three Acre Woods. The site’s boundary overlaps with the High Rocks Hill Fort, a scheduled ancient monument dating from the Iron Age, which is also a ‘site of special scientific interest’.
And part of the site is in the High Weald National Landscape, and the National Landscape. There are three tree preservation orders along Eridge Road: some trees would be removed as part of the scheme.
As KentLive previously reported, Spratsbrook Farm had been earmarked for 270 homes and a seven-form secondary school. It sparked a petition by residents and a groundswell of opposition. In the emerging draft Local Plan, it is allocated for 120 homes.
In April 2025, KentLive reported how nearly 15 acres at Spratsbrook Farm was losing its Green Belt status in the emerging Local Plan. Across the borough, 536 acres of Green Belt at 11 sites were due to lose this status, by the borough council, to make away for development.
We reported in 2017 how 176 acres of then Green Belt farmland at Spratsbrook Farm was put forward in a call for sites by the council for its Local Plan.
Dandara had been promoting the large site at the farm, which is behind Ramslye Road, to the Tunbridge Wells council and also Wealden District Council. And KentLive reported in 2019 that the main urban area of Tunbridge Wells was due to see 1,271 new homes built on 17 sites, one of which was Spratsbrook Farm.
The red line shows the site boundary for Spratsbrook Farm in Tunbridge Wells(Image: Dandara South East Ltd)
The council said at the time: “This site was allocated for residential development providing approximately 270 dwellings and a seven-form entry secondary school. A significant number of comments were received in relation to this site as well as a petition.
“Following the public consultation at the end of 2019, which included representations on this site, the council commissioned a number of updated evidence base studies considering a number of issues, including landscape, heritage impact, green belt etc as well as further liaison with key stakeholders including Kent County Council education.”
“In considering the findings of these studies and updates, as well as the comments made as part of the public consultation, a number of revisions and amendments have been made to the latest version of the Local Plan which is currently being considered by the council.”
“This site at Spratsbrook Farm is one such site that has been amended with the removal of the secondary school from the allocation and a reduction in the number of residential dwellings proposed.”
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