Proposed Development

Ufton Court

Sittingbourne, ME10 1SF

Learn about our plans for a new development on land at Ufton Court, Sittingbourne

We are working to develop our plans for new homes on land at Ufton Court, Sittingbourne. 

In line with the approved outline planning consent for the site, our proposals are for 290 new homes, 30% of which will be provided as affordable housing. Our plans also include approximately 17 hectares of open space and parkland, a community orchard and a Neighbourhood Equipped Area for Play (NEAP).

If our plans are approved, we will make financial contributions of circa £ 6.5 million to Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to support and improve local infrastructure, including education and healthcare facilities and highways.

As we prepare to finalise our proposals ahead of the submission of a reserved matters planning application to Swale Borough Council in spring 2025, we want to listen to feedback from the local community.

Further details of our plans can be found below, and you can provide your comments by clicking the ‘Have Your Say’ button or by emailing [email protected]

Our online consultation period will end at midnight on Tuesday 4th March 2025.
 
Some images and tours are used for illustrative purposes only and may include optional upgrades, subject to availability and at additional cost. Development managed by Taylor Wimpey South East.

Development Map

Masterplan

We want to create a vibrant and well connected new community in Sittingbourne. 

The proposed development site, outlined in red on the plan below,  already has outline planning consent which means that the principle for development has been agreed. 

We are now preparing a reserved matters application which deals with the finer details of the development, such as the mix, layout and design of the homes.

Our plans are in line with the approved outline consent and include a range of new homes to help meet local needs, as well as large areas of open space, parkland and a new play area. 
 
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Street scenes

To create an attractive characterful development with contemporary and distinctive street scenes, we are proposing homes of varying designs, with a mix of materials to complement the surrounding area. Our plans include homes built with brown roof tile, brick and brick banding, as well as weatherboarding.

 

The images below shows how the proposed homes could look.

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Homes proposed

Our proposals are for 290 high quality new homes with a variety of styles, sizes and house types to cater to a range of buyers and help to meet local housing needs.

We are proposing two, three, four and five bedroom houses and one and two bedroom bungalows.

87 (30%) of the homes will be provided as affordable housing, with options including shared ownership and affordable rent. A number of homes would also be made available with the Government-backed First Homes scheme.
 

 

The plan below shows the proposed layout of the development.
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Homes proposed breakdown

The full breakdown of our proposed homes is as follows.

 

Private homes

  • 14 x 2 bed bungalows
  • 29 x 2 bed houses
  • 92 x 3 bed houses 
  • 62 x 4 bed houses
  • 6 x 5 bed houses 

Affordable homes available with the Government - backed First Homes scheme

  • 2x 1 bed bungalows
  • 4 x 1 bed houses
  • 15 x 2 bed houses
     
Affordable homes available with shared ownership
  • 3 x 2 bed houses
  • 2 x 3 bed houses
  • 2 x 4 bed houses
Affordable homes available with affordable rent
  • 4 x 1 bed bungalows
  • 23 x 2 bed houses
  • 27 x 3 bed houses
  • 5 x 4 bed houses

As a responsible housebuilder, committed to building a sustainable future for our customers, all of the homes will be energy efficient, incorporating renewable energy technologies and constructed in line with relevant building regulations.

 

The plan below shows the proposed layout of the homes. One bedroom homes are shown in purple, two bedroom homes in yellow, three bedroom homes in blue, four bedroom homes in red and five bedroom homes in green.

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About our proposals features

Connectivity

We understand that a new development will have an impact on the existing community and we have carefully considered this as we have developed our proposals.

Primary access to the site will be from the junction of Riddles Road, College Road and Minterne Avenue. To create this access, a change to the existing road configuration is proposed and which includes the introduction of a three arm mini roundabout that connects Minterne Avenue, College Road and the primary route through the proposed development site. Riddles Road would be diverted to join the primary access road approximately 20m south of its current junction with Minterne Avenue. 

A separate access for emergency vehicles will also be provided to the south, off the main access via Starveacre Lane. 

Our proposals also incorporate a range of access options for pedestrians and cyclists to ensure good connectivity for residents both within the new development and to the wider local area. In addition, existing public rights of way (PROWs) will be upgraded with contributions secured in the legal agreement accompanying the approved outline planning permission. All PROWs that run through the development will be sensitively integrated, with new connections provided from these into the new public open space.

Residents will also benefit from good access to public transport, with bus stops located within 300m and 800m of the site, at College Road and Borden Lane respectively, and Sittingbourne train station located 2km north of the site. 

 
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Drainage

The proposed development site is in Flood Zone 1, which means it has a low risk of flooding.

The proposed drainage strategy has been carefully considered to ensure that appropriate measures are put in place. Our proposals incorporate a range of sustainable drainage measures to manage onsite surface water run-off, including attenuation basins which have been designed to allow for climate change.

Consultation with Southern Water will continue to establish whether any updates to the existing foul drainage network are needed to accommodate the number of homes proposed in this location. 
 
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Ecology

Preserving and enhancing local wildlife is a key consideration when we plan and build new developments.

With the land  having been a commercial orchard, its ecological value is low, with any features supporting ecology principally restricted to the site boundaries. 

The proposed development site itself is not subject to any ecological designations. It is recognised that there are a number of internationally designated sites in close proximity to the proposed development site and a contribution will be made to the North Kent Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy (SAMMS) if our application is approved.This contribution is already secured in the legal agreement accompanying the approved outline permission.

Our proposals also ensure that green corridors will be maintained and strengthened with native planting. This will increase foraging opportunities for a range of wildlife, but particularly bats, birds, invertebrates and small mammals. We will also introduce new trees with extensive planting.

There are existing hedgerows that are located on the boundary of the site which will be retained and incorporated into the development alongside existing trees, with the exception of those that need to be removed to facilitate the site access.  The hedges and trees provide roosting potential and foraging corridors for bats, and these will therefore be retained. To further enhance roosting opportunities, bat boxes will be provided on existing trees or integrated into the new homes.

Overall, our proposals will achieve a biodiversity net gain.

 
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Heritage

Recognising and preserving the heritage of our developments is very important to us. The site does not contain any designated or non-designated heritage assets and is sufficiently distanced from any designated or non-designated local heritage assets so as not to have any impact on them.
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Our approach features

Previous use

The proposed development site, which covers approximately 27.5 ha, has been used as a commercial orchard.
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Previous planning applications

An outline planning application, which established the principle for residential development, was approved by the Planning Inspectorate in June 2024. This application was dealt with by the precious landowner.

The approved application can be viewed on Swale Borough Council's planning portal and by searching application reference number 22/505646/OUT

The outline application was approved at Appeal and the consent establishes a number of parameters, including where residential development should be located on the site and the amount of open space to be provided. Our proposals for the reserved matters application are in line with these approved parameters. 
 
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History of the site features

Economic benefits

If our plans are approved, we will make financial contributions of circa £ 6.5million to Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to support and improve local infrastructure, including education and healthcare facilities and highways.

In addition, the construction of the development will generate jobs and associated economic benefits, namely through the labour needed to deliver the development and associated jobs through the supply chain (including. the provision of materials and services). Linked to this, increased expenditure in the local economy will be generated as a direct result of the development, but also indirectly but those employed spending money within the local economy.

In the longer term, the development will support the economic health and well-being of Swale by ensuring that there is high-quality housing to support the growth of existing business and to assist in attracting new businesses to the area. 
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Open space

Ensuring our residents and the local community have access to beautiful green open spaces is a key consideration. 

Our proposals include approximately 17 hectares of open space and parkland providing varied recreational opportunities. The open space will include a Neighbourhood Equipped Area of Play (NEAP), informal play opportunities and a traditional community orchard. Alongside this, areas of semi-improved meadow grassland alongside other new habitats will provide ecological enhancements.
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Amenities and facilities

As well as new homes, our plans include 17ha of public open space which will provide a range of recreational opportunities that will benefit both the residents of the development and the wider community.

Our plans also include provision of new footpath and cycle routes to provide both residents and the wider community with good connections across the site and to the wider area.
 
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Community benefits features