Land At Dumbrell Drive Paddock Wood Tonbridge Kent TN12 6FR Data via plota.co.uk

Proposal

KCC Consultation: Erection of a part-one part-two storey building for school use (Class F1), together with associated parking, cycle parking, play and sports facilities, landscaping, substation, works to Dumbrell Drive, and associated works, to be delivered in phases Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
23 Oct 2026
Decision
Expected by 20 Nov 2026

Under consideration

No decision has been issued yet. Plota predicts a decision between 14 Dec 2026 and 31 Dec 2026, from Tunbridge Wells's recent commercial and major works.

Site constraints 2

Agricultural land, grade 3b
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Habitat network: Network Enhancement Zone 2
Where habitat is joined up enough to work as a network. Context, not a constraint on its own.
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt · No listed building at the site

Checked on 28 October 2026. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Application type
County Matters
Postcode
TN12 6FR
Received
23 Oct 2026
Validated
23 Oct 2026
Ward
Paddock Wood
Parish
Paddock Wood Town Council
Case officer
Show
Target decision
20 Nov 2026
Decision level
Delegated Decision
Applicant
Show

Decision outlook

Day 6 of the 56-day target. Tunbridge Wells usually decides commercial and major works by day 56.

Day 650 days to the 56-day target
52%decided within 8 weeks
88%approved
6%go to committee

Plota live figures for commercial and major works decided by Tunbridge Wells in the last twelve months, from validation. Tunbridge Wells decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Alt. reference
KCC/TW/0153/2026
Statutory expiry
20 Nov 2026
Env. assessment
No
Tunbridge Wells
Planning Authority Score
8.7/10
Excellent
#13 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

Tunbridge Wells is one of the fastest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #26 out of 296. Only 25% of applications have the time limit extended, well below the 41% national average - the council usually decides on time. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (96%) than the national average (90%).

Among the fastest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
Tunbridge Wells decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
93%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #69 of 296
96%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #63 of 296
84%
Decided in 8 weeks
Above avg (63%) #26 of 296
25%
Extended time limit
Below avg (41%) #32 of 296
85%
Minor dwellings approved
150 decided (1-9 homes)
82%
Major dwellings approved
11 decided (10+ homes)
96%
Change of use approved
47 decided
1,178
Total decisions
83 refused in the year to March 2026