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Learn about our plans for a new development on land at Ufton Court, Sittingbourne
We have submitted a reserved matters planning application 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.
We ran an online public consultation on our plans which closed on Tuesday 4th March 2025. All comments we received were considered as we finalised a reserved matters planning application which was submitted to Swale Borough Council in late March 2025.
If you have any questions on our plans you can get in touch via [email protected]
Development Map
Masterplan
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.
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.
Homes proposed
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.
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
- 3 x 2 bed houses
- 2 x 3 bed houses
- 2 x 4 bed houses
- 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.
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 Sittingbourne train station located 2km north of the site.
Drainage
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.
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.
The image below shows existing hedgerow on the western Site boundary, which will be retained and incorporated into a new area of public open space.
Heritage
Our approach features
Previous use
Previous planning applications
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.
History of the site features
Economic benefits
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.
Open space
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.
Amenities and facilities
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.
Community benefits features
We are holding an online consultation which will run until midnight on Tuesday 4th March 2025, where residents can leave their comments and find out more about our plans. You can provide feedback via the Have Your Say button, or by emailing the project team via [email protected]
Community Community We believe it’s our responsibility to support our communities, so that people are proud to call them home. That’s why we regularly donate time and money to local causes, and are passionate about investing in the areas we build.
Should our plans be approved, we’ll be making donations of circa £6.5million to Swale Borough Council and Kent County Council to support and improve local infrastructure. Funding will be used towards education, healthcare and community learning facilities, youth and adult social care services and local highway and public right of way (PROW) improvements. Sustainability Sustainability We’re committed to building greener, healthier homes for us all. By using energy efficient fixtures and fittings, as well as renewable technologies, we work hard to cut our carbon emissions and enhance existing green spaces - we build sustainability into everything we do. News and updates News and updates
- July 2024 - Outline planning permission granted by the Planning Inspectorate
- January 2025 - Taylor Wimpey completes on the purchase of the land
- February/March 2025 - online consultation held ahead of submission of reserved matters planning application
- Late March 2025 - Reserved matters planning application submitted to Swale Borough Council
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