Information from public exhibition available now

F&HDC’s Cabinet approved the establishment of Otterpool Park LLP in 2020. The LLP was created to act as the master developer for the project. Both Otterpool Park LLP and the Otterpool Park Development Company Limited are wholly owned by the council. Otterpool Park LLP will make all planning applications in respect to the Otterpool Park development.  

Sellindge Village Hall is a local, accessible venue with good facilities and car parking, that we have successfully used for other engagement events, so was a familiar venue that was relevant to attendees.  

The event timings considered lifestyles e.g. working and childcare patterns and reflect the most frequently visited times observed at previous similar events. Regular busiest periods are mid-afternoon (post lunch) and late- afternoon, when typically people are returning from work.  

The public exhibition was promoted through a number of activities, including: 

• A press release to local media outlets  

• Leaflet delivered to local households and businesses. Approximately 1,900 leaflets were delivered within a radius of three miles from Westenhanger station. 

• Newspaper advertising in the Folkestone & Hythe Express and Kentish Express 

• Social media posts on Otterpool Park and Folkestone & Hythe District Council social media 

• Information on the Otterpool Park website 

• Posters offered and circulated to local libraries and community venues  

• Councillors from Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Ashford Borough Council and local parish councils, as well as local MPs, were invited to a briefing ahead of the public exhibition.  

Three years have passed since the Local Planning Authority resolved to grant planning permission for Otterpool Park. In that time there have been changes to policy, legislation and guidance. We are accelerating delivery of the project and by submitting updated additional information we can also reflect any updates to surveys, deliver greater flexibility and facilitate delivery of the first homes.  

The exhibition boards were made available on the Otterpool Park website at 2.30pm on Wednesday 24 June to coincide with the exhibition opening. This also accounted for the hot weather and gave people the option to remain at home, but still be able to access the information. This was also promoted on social media.  

The principle of development was agreed at Planning Committee in 2023. Since then, the LLP and the council have been seeking a strategic partner to assist with resourcing and funding of the project given the changing financial conditions in the market and the need to support delivery.  

Having entered into a Planning Collaboration Agreement with Homes England, the LLP are now able to progress the project, but due to the time that has passed since resolution was made, there is a need to update the application to take account of more recent baseline survey information and matters of legislation and guidance. The LLP has taken that opportunity to make minor changes to parts of the application where these are considered necessary to support scheme delivery and wanted to share this with the local community ahead of submitting it. 

The updates to the planning application do not change our original vision for Otterpool Park – a 21st century garden town, a landscape-led, high-quality place of exemplary design and high sustainability standards. Much of the original outline planning application information remains the same.  

There are no changes to: 

• The site’s red line boundary 

• The development description 

• The number of homes, i.e. up to 8,500 

• The Key Principles of the Otterpool Park Charter  

• Fundamental elements of the Parameter Plans and Development Specification 

The updated application provides a strong yet adaptable structure to guide decisions as the project progresses. It will: 

• Reflect new policies and guidance that have emerged since the last committee decision three years ago. 

• Update mitigation measures so they match the latest surveys and evidence. 

• Increase flexibility so the development can adapt where appropriate as it progresses. 

• Accelerate delivery of the first homes, helping the project move from planning into delivery. 

These documents guide how the whole development will come forward. They have been updated to: 

• Simplify and streamline the text by removing duplication and making the information easier to follow. 

• Reflect the tiered planning structure, which allows for further detail as the project evolves over time. 

• Allow flexibility in the housing mix, recognising that needs will evolve over the lifetime of Otterpool Park. 

• Show how the first homes at Otterpool Park will be delivered and how these homes fit into the wider masterplan. 

• Update the approach now that the waste facility at Otterpool Quarry is operational, meaning only one set of parameter plans is needed. 

We have also updated the Environmental Statement and Mitigation Matters so they match the updated documents, including the plans for the first homes. These updates also reflect any changes in the environment and in national policy, legislation and guidance. 

The updated information will be submitted later this year, and we will keep you informed as this progresses. Further details for the first 300 homes – including elements such as materials, street lighting, planting and other design elements – will be considered through a Reserved Matters Application, expected in late 2027. 

The original planning application is currently available to view on the Local Planning Authority website https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/planning. The application reference is Y19/0257/FH. 

The Local Planning Authority will be seeking feedback from the local community following the submission of the finalised information. This information will also be uploaded onto the Local Planning Authority website under the same reference number. That feedback will be taken into account as part of their review and decision making process. 

We will let people know when the updated information has been submitted so you can view it and share your feedback through the Council’s website. 

The public exhibition gives the public advance notice before updated information is submitted to the Local Planning Authority. Once it has been submitted, there will be the standard consultation period.  

Homes England are one of a number of land owners within the Otterpool Park planning application boundary. In March 2026, a new planning collaboration agreement was signed between Folkestone & Hythe District Council and Homes England – the government’s housing and regeneration agency – aimed at supporting and accelerating the delivery of Otterpool Park Garden Town. 

The agreement is focussed on securing planning permission for the current scheme and is time limited until December 2026. Further work is underway to determine Homes England’s involvement beyond this date.  

Otterpool Park is allocated in the Core Strategy Review (2022) which was adopted by the LPA on 30th March 2022. Policy SS6 sets out the New Garden Settlement Development Requirements. The policy requirements relate to the new homes, employment development and community and

educational facilities delivered at the Otterpool Park garden settlement.  Policy SS7 sets out the Place Shaping Principles that will be embedded within the master plan and design of the New Garden Settlement as follows:

(1) A landscape-led approach;

(2) A vibrant town centre;

(3) Village neighbourhoods;

(4) A high-quality townscape;

(5) Enhanced heritage assets; and

(6) Sustainable access and movement.

Policy SS8 outlines Sustainability and Healthy New Town Principles that proposals for the New Garden Settlement will follow. Policy SS9 outlines the infrastructure, delivery and management practices that Otterpool Park will need to adhere to.

The proposed changes have not yet been agreed by the Local Planning Authority.  

Work is underway to assess what improvements to the station need to be made to accommodate the expected growth in passenger numbers using Westenhanger Station and when, and what improvements are needed in relation to the delivery of the first homes.  We are setting up meetings with Network Rail and Southeastern to discuss this further. 

The first homes will be built near Hillhurst Farm. Please refer to the plan on the boards from our exhibition here.

The first homes are positioned close to Westenhanger Station and have direct access to the A20. This helps future residents travel easily while reducing traffic impacts on existing communities. There’s more information about the first homes on our exhibition boards.

The land to the very south will come forward in accordance with the parameter plan and be subject to a future Reserved Matters Application in the same way as the rest of Otterpool Park. The timing of any future development on the wider parcel is still to be determined, but will form part of the wider delivery programme for Otterpool Park. In the interim it will remain undeveloped and the intention is for it to remain as farmland until its development is required. 

The first homes will include a range of homes to meet different local needs. By providing a mix of home types, the aim is to support local housing requirements and help create a diverse and balanced community where people at different life stages can find a suitable place to live. It is our expectation that the area will provide 22% affordable homes in line with the wider outline masterplan proposal.  

Otterpool Park LLP remains committed to this approach and the new garden town will contribute to a full range of social and other infrastructure. The nature of this provision and the timings for when it is needed will be agreed with relevant stakeholders including KCC, the NHS and National Highways.     

This commitment is further illustrated by the investment that is being made in the WWtW as a key piece of early infrastructure for Otterpool Park including for biodiversity and nutrient neutrality.   

The infrastructure delivered alongside the first homes will be agreed with the stakeholders, and secured via a targeted s106, the details of which will be submitted as part of the updated application.  

There will be no specific facilities provided within the first homes parcel as facilities will be provided in line with the illustrative masterplan and delivered as needed. However, financial contributions will be made to support future provision and, if necessary, can be used to expand existing schools, community and health services to increase capacity prior to Otterpool Park facilities coming online. 

The design principles for the first homes will be set out as part of the submission materials. Additional information such as materials for the houses, type of streetlights, planting etc. will be subject to a future reserved matters application. There will be further consultation on the detail of the first homes as part of the development of this application. Subject to gaining outline planning permission for the whole development, it is expected that this will be submitted in late 2027.  

The first homes at Otterpool Park will deliver a range of benefits, both through the homes themselves and, over time, as part of the wider garden town development. 

As part of the wider Otterpool Park garden town, the first homes play a key role in unlocking the delivery of these broader benefits, enabling the delivery of infrastructure, facilities, and public spaces in a sustainable, well-connected, and thriving new community that benefits existing and future residents alike. 

The improvements being developed will be focussed on the current train services and will enable better access to the station.   

There is existing capacity for approximately 1,500 homes. Working with Affinity Water, Otterpool Park LLP will provide an upgrade to the Paddlesworth reservoir and new potable water supply to serve Otterpool Park. 

The first homes parcel is relatively small compared with our expectation for future key phases that will come forward. This is to create a smaller area for the first homes to ensure that the level of quality can be managed more carefully. A smaller first homes parcel will allow initial momentum to be established whilst allowing the supporting infrastructure to come forward to meet the requirements of residents.  

We are in contact with Southern Water and have received confirmation that there is existing capacity in the system for drainage for the first homes. In addition, measures will be included within the designs to manage the flow of water to ease the pressure on the drainage system and to ensure that no flooding issues are created. The detailed design will be subject to a detailed flooding and drainage study to address any concerns.  

Across the wider masterplan, updated technical studies will be submitted as part of the updated information to assess and explain what mitigation is needed to avoid future flooding issues in line with the Environment Agency guidance.  

We are in regular and detailed dialogue with Kent County Council and National Highways to determine what improvements and mitigation is necessary to avoid traffic problems in the area.  

As part of this, we undertook a significant number of traffic surveys in 2025 to understand the existing traffic conditions and these are being used to understand how junctions may operate in the future.     

We are using this data to update the modelling of 26 key road and motorway junctions in and around Otterpool Park which will in turn identify what improvements may be required as a direct result of the development.  

The traffic assessments were the subject of very detailed scrutiny as part of the original masterplan application and baseline survey data has been updated accordingly to ensure that the modelling work is as robust as possible. The revised data will be subject to the same high level of scrutiny as part of this updated submission.   

The strategic modelling assessment shows that some 80% car trips from the site will be wanting to travel northbound to the M20 Junction 11, and therefore some 20% travelling southbound to the Newingreen Junction 

Based on a robust assessment it is therefore expected that up to some 30 additional car trips will travel through the Newingreen Junction during the busiest hour as a result of the first homes coming forward 

This is equivalent to an additional vehicle through the junction every two minutes during the busiest hour, which is not expected to have a material change to the existing performance of the junction. 

As the delivery of the wider masterplan comes forward there will be an improvement scheme at the Newingreen Junction which will be implemented at an appropriate time 

The first homes will be connected to the existing Sellindge Wastewater Treatment work initially, which has capacity.  Later it will be connected to the Otterpool Park WWTW. 

Enabling works are currently programmed to start in 2029, becoming operational in 2031. 

This was assessed in detail by Kent County Council and their technical experts in determining the planning application before permission was issued in April. The WWTW was shown that none of statutory levels on any of these matters would be breached.