Plans Submitted for 44 Homes in Chart Sutton - Nine More Than the Site Was Allocated For

A developer has applied to build 44 homes on a field on the eastern edge of Chart Sutton - nine more than the site was earmarked for under the village's own emerging Neighbourhood Plan, a gap that has already drawn a formal objection from at least one resident.

Macar Homes has applied to Maidstone Borough Council (reference 26/503331/FULL) to redevelop land adjacent to Ivans Field, off Plough Wents Road, with 44 two-storey homes - a mix of two, three and four-bedroom houses - a new vehicular access onto Plough Wents Road, pedestrian connectivity into the village via Warmlake Road, and new public open space with natural play space. Of the 44 homes, 40% (18) would be affordable: a mix of affordable rent and shared ownership. The existing boundary trees and hedgerows would be retained and added to, which the developer's own paperwork says would deliver a significant increase in biodiversity net gain. Source: Maidstone Borough Council planning portal

The site's history is where the real dispute lies. One formal objection lodged on the application points out that the land was considered - and rejected - as part of developing the emerging Local Neighbourhood Plan, which ultimately allocated the site for 35 homes under policy LPRSP8. This application is for 44, nine more than that figure, which the objector argues breaches paragraph 6.128 of Maidstone's own Local Plan Review 2021-2038 and would add pressure to local services - shops, schools, healthcare, water supply and sewerage - without a matching contribution to mitigate it. The objection also argues the site sits outside Chart Sutton's settlement boundary entirely, and that the development would represent an eastward expansion of the village into open countryside, harming views from Plough Wents Road.

Not all the reaction has been negative. One neighbour's comment in support of the application - while saying they would personally prefer to see no further substantial housing in the village - argued this particular site has an advantage over the alternative sites that could otherwise be built on: its direct access onto the B2163 (Plough Wents Road) keeps additional traffic off the narrower, rural lanes that already carry traffic through the rest of the village.

Pre-application discussions between Macar Homes and Maidstone Borough Council officers on 13 May 2026 - for an earlier, larger version of the scheme proposing up to 47 homes - found the council confirmed development on the site could be considered acceptable in principle. The reason is a familiar one in Maidstone: the borough's lack of a five-year housing land supply renders certain policies that would otherwise restrict development "out of date" for decision-making purposes under the National Planning Policy Framework. Officers indicated the scheme would be looked on favourably provided no harm is shown to significantly and demonstrably outweigh its benefits. Kent County Council's highways team was also consulted ahead of submission and is described in the application as broadly supportive of the transport proposals.

The application was validated on 29 September 2026 and a site notice went up on 6 October, with the public comment period open until around 27-29 October. Maidstone Borough Council has set an internal target date of 29 December 2026 to determine the application, though no date has yet been set for a decision. Comments can be submitted via the planning portal quoting reference 26/503331/FULL.

The site sits on the eastern edge of Chart Sutton, between Plough Wents Road (the B2163) to the north and Warmlake Road to the south, immediately next to the existing Ivans Field estate. View full interactive map →

Source: Maidstone Borough Council planning portal