Housing Minister Rejects TMBC's Bid to Overturn Local Plan Intervention

The Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook, has rejected a request from Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council to withdraw or amend the Government's direction ordering the council to press ahead with its emerging Local Plan, despite the council's concerns about water supply and infrastructure capacity.

Full Council voted on 3 September to pause the plan's progress to its Regulation 19 consultation stage, citing doubts about whether there was enough water and wastewater capacity to support the housing growth expected of the borough. The Government overruled that decision the next day, directing the council to proceed regardless. Council leader Cllr Matt Boughton then wrote to the Minister on 11 September, arguing that the water supply situation amounted to exceptional circumstances that justified reconsidering the intervention.

Cllr Boughton said the Government had "finally responded" to the council's letter, confirming it had "rejected our position that not having sufficient capacity for drinking water in the borough is an exceptional circumstance." He said the Government's letter characterised the council's position as "a 'precaution' and not based on 'substantive evidence'."

Cllr Boughton disputed that characterisation, saying: "The evidence we cited is South East Water's response to our consultation and its Water Resources Management Plan, which has been signed off by the regulator, Ofwat, and, er... the Government. Meanwhile thousands of homes across Tonbridge and Malling have been without water at points during 2026." He said the council was "considering our position on what options are available to us."

Source: Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, via Facebook.