WE NEED YOU TO RESPOND TO THE LOCAL PLAN!

I get it.
You’re tired of hearing about the council. You’re tired of the Local Plan. And after everything that happened with Bushey Wood, it’s no wonder people feel worn down. Plus, it’s nearly Christmas, this is probably the very last thing on your mind.

But our community genuinely needs your voice.

TMBC has released a new Local Plan for consultation, and if we want to protect the future of our village, we need residents like you to respond. Every single response matters, it’s the only way our concerns are formally counted.

We’re making the process as simple as possible.
On this page, you’ll find a clear step-by-step guide, along with suggested text you can copy and paste directly into your response (yes, we’ve checked, that’s absolutely fine!).

Please take a few minutes to help shape the future of our village.

1- Go to https://tmbcconsult.commonplace.is/en-GB/map/development-allocations-map

2- In the search box at the top, type in Eccles and press enter. Eccles should appear on the map.

3- You will see two red sections.

4- In the top right of the screen, click on the ‘Have Your Say’ box.

5- You then need to click on one of the two red boxes in the area.

6- You should now have a box appear on the screen. For the ‘WHAT SITE ARE YOU COMMENTING ON’ section, type EC1.

7- Select the Unhappy face.

8- Copy/Paste as many of the points to the right as you like.

9- VERY IMPORTANT - scroll all the way down, enter your email and click the Next button.

10- You will then need to click on the ‘GET CONFIRMATION LINK’ box.

11- Go to your email and open the ‘support@commonplace.is’ email.

12- Click on ‘CONFIRM COMMENT’.

Thank you for helping!

ECCLES SHOULD NOT BE CLASSIFIED AS A TIER 4 – SECONDARY VILLAGE, IT SHOULD BE TIER 5

  • Eccles has no doctor’s surgery, and the closest practice is already over-subscribed and due to be relocated even further away.

  • We have no regular public transport. The only service available is a limited part-time school bus.

  • Eccles has significantly less infrastructure than many Tier 5 villages elsewhere in the Borough

HEALTHCARE

  • The local health centre offers very limited services.

  • Eccles has not had an on-site GP for many years.

  • Prescriptions cannot be collected in the village.

  • Our nearest GP practice is 1.5 miles away.

  • That practice will soon move to Peters Village, Wouldham – 2.6 miles away.

  • The GP is over capacity, making it very difficult for residents to get appointments.

TRANSPORT

  • Eccles no longer has a regular bus service — only a limited school-time service.

  • The former “supermarket bus” service has been discontinued.

  • Aylesford Station is a 50-minute walk away.

  • Snodland Station is a 1 hour 50 minute walk away.

  • For many residents, this results in high car dependency with no viable alternatives.

EC1 AREA CONCERNS

  • The village already suffers from severe car-parking pressures.

  • Bushey Wood’s 800 approved homes will significantly increase traffic and strain on local services.

  • Much of the EC1 site is Grade 2 agricultural land.

  • A full landscape assessment is required due to proximity to the Kent Downs National Landscape.

  • The site sits adjacent to a priority habitat.

  • There is limited safe access for pedestrians and cyclists, with only a PROW crossing the site.

  • High-voltage pylons restrict the site layout and design.

  • A significant buffer zone will be required around these pylons, further reducing viable land for development.