Bellway Says It Has Paid £5 Million Towards Infrastructure for Its Otham Development

Housebuilder Bellway says it has paid more than £5 million in financial contributions towards local infrastructure as part of its Parsonage Place development in Otham, on the edge of Maidstone, with all payments required under its planning permission now made.

According to Bellway, £2.76 million was paid via the Community Infrastructure Levy, with the remainder provided through a Section 106 agreement. The company says this has included more than £1.45 million for primary schools, more than £123,000 for cycle route upgrades, and more than £745,000 for improvements at Junction 7 of the M20, around three miles from the development. These are developer-reported figures rather than independently audited totals, but CIL and Section 106 payments are the standard mechanism by which new developments fund the local infrastructure needed to support them.

Work started at Parsonage Place, off Church Road in Otham, in 2022. Of the 421 homes planned, Bellway says 310 have now been built, including all 126 affordable homes - for low-cost rent and shared ownership - which have been completed and handed over to local housing associations.

Mark Harrop, Sales Director for Bellway Kent, said: "We have made a considerable investment in Maidstone as part of our Parsonage Place development, providing more than £5 million in funding to support infrastructure improvements in the local area. In addition to our financial contributions, we have also made an important contribution towards meeting the area's housing needs, including prioritising the completion of the first affordable homes at an early stage of construction." He added that the company had also funded road and footpath improvements and a new car park for St Nicholas Church, Otham, as part of the scheme.

Source: Bellway press release, 2026.