Pembury

Key Stages

The Pembury Neighbourhood Development Plans was 'made' by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council at Full Council on 4 October 2023.

Referendum on the Neighbourhood Plan

On 14 September 2023 the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan Referendum was held. In response to the question "Do you want Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Pembury to help it decide planning applications in the Neighbourhood Area?", the number of votes cast responding 'Yes' was 819. The number of votes cast responding 'No' was 159. As more than 50 per cent of those that voted chose 'Yes', the Plan will proceed to Full Council on 4 October 2023, recommending that the Neighbourhood Development Plan be 'made' (adopted) as part of the statutory development plan for the area.

Declaration of Results - Pembury Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

Consideration of Examiner’s report, recommendations, and recommended modifications

Following an independent examination undertaken by written representations, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) confirmed that the Pembury Neighbourhood Development Plan (PNDP) can proceed to a Neighbourhood Planning Referendum.

The decision statement is published here.

The referendum version of the Neighbourhood Plan can be viewed below:

For further information about the Neighbourhood Planning Referendum (NPR) process, please see the Pembury NPR Information Statement.

Neighbourhood Plan Independent Examination

The Neighbourhood Plan, following the Regulation 16 consultation, was subject to an independent examination. An independent examiner was appointed by Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (with the agreement of the qualifying body).

The examiner recommends in his Final Report dated 06 April 2023 that the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan, as modified by the examiner's recommendations, should proceed to referendum.

The following documents are available for viewing:

Neighbourhood Plan Proposal

Pembury Parish Council submitted the Pembury Neighbourhood Development Plan to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on 4 November 2022 in accordance with Regulation 15 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

In accordance with Regulation 16 the borough council is inviting representations on the Pembury Neighbourhood Development Plan for an eight-week period from Monday 5 December to 5pm on Monday 30 January 2023.

The following documents are available for viewing:

Pembury Submission Neighbourhood Plan 2022 (20.5 MB) PDF

A paper copy will be available for viewing by appointment at the Pembury Parish Council offices at Recreation Ground, Lower Green Rd, Pembury, Tunbridge Wells TN2 4DZ. Please email the Clerk at clerk@pemburyparishcouncil.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.

A paper copy will also be on deposit at the Town Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RS. Please email neighbourhoodplans@tunbridgewells.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.

The easiest way to submit comments on the Pembury Neighbourhood Development Plan is online via the Consultation Portal. Alternatively, please complete the Response Form below and submit your comments in the following ways:

• by email to: neighbourhoodplans@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
• by post to: Pembury Neighbourhood Plan, Planning Policy, Planning Services, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Town Hall, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1RS

You can submit as many separate comments on the Plan as you wish, and you can also provide supporting documents to your response.

Next steps

Following the eight-week consultation period, the borough council will collate and pass all representations to an independent examiner who will look at them and the Plan documents when assessing whether the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan meets the relevant legislation and can proceed to referendum. In responding to the consultation, you may also request to be notified of the council’s decision regarding the outcome of the independent examination of the Plan (under Regulation 19).

If the examiner and the council believe that the Plan meets all the relevant requirements, then a decision will be made to hold a referendum on the Plan, which will allow residents to decide whether the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan should be confirmed and become part of the Development Plan for the borough, carrying relevant legal weight in the determination of planning applications in the parish of Pembury.

Further information and background documents on the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan are available to view on the Parish Council’s website.

If you require further information on the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan consultation process, please contact the Planning Policy Team on 01892 554056 or email neighbourhoodplans@tunbridgewells.gov.uk.

Designation of Pembury Parish as a Neighbourhood Area

Pembury Parish Council applied to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council for the designation of a neighbourhood area under The Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012. The area proposed covers the whole of the parished area of Pembury and is the first step for Pembury Parish Council in preparing a Neighbourhood Plan.

The borough council approved the neighbourhood area on 14 July 2020.

The following documents are available for viewing:

For more information on the Pembury Neighbourhood Plan, please see the Neighbourhood Plan – Pembury Parish Council website.