A row has broken out over plans to erect homes for the homeless on a disused commuter car park.
The site, owned by Tonbridge and Malling council at the Chatham end of Blue Bell Hill, has been earmarked for a £4.6million temporary housing scheme for homeless families.
It will provide about 15 modular units for people in its borough.
But Tonbridge and Malling has been accused of dumping on its neighbouring authority, Medway Council, given its far-flung location next to the M2 and the potential for it to place further strain on already stretched services in the Towns.
The proposal has incensed Chatham and Aylesford MP Tris Osborne, who said it was “disappointing” and “discourteous” that, as a neighbouring authority, Medway had not been consulted.
Mr Osborne told KentOnline: “It’s customary that in matters like this, there are conversations with neighbouring councils, parish councils and other stakeholders.”
While he recognised the authority had a problem with temporary accommodation and welcomed efforts to provide it, he has called for a meeting to discuss possible increased pressure on schools, GP services and infrastructure.
Subject to planning permission, which will include public consultation, the project would see a mix of homes offering between one and four bedrooms suited to families and those with local connections.
The units would be assembled on site and be designed to a high standard, including good levels of energy efficiency.
The location is well served by motorway links, including bus routes, with an Asda supermarket and children’s nursery both less than 15 minutes’ walk away.
Like many other local authorities, Tonbridge and Malling has seen increasing demand for help with homelessness, with around 120 households at any one time needing accommodation.
Matt Boughton, the Tory council leader, said: “Homelessness is a major problem. It’s our biggest challenge. Demand far outweighs supply.
“We have not consulted Medway because we own the site and it is in Tonbridge and Malling, so we don’t have to.
“They are welcome to express their views.”
He also ruled out the scheme was being used to house Afghan refugees as part of a resettlement scheme after a council report outlining the proposal appeared to indicate so
It currently owns or leases around 30 properties in the Tonbridge area but has little to meet demand in areas such as Aylesford in the north of the borough
As a result, it often has to top up supply with more expensive private lettings to meet demand. The borough’s overall bill for temporary accommodation is around £2.5m per year.
The increase in homeless households is widespread across the UK.
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Government figures for 2023-2024 show nearly 200,000 cases nationally requiring council help, up 12.5 per cent on the previous year.
Both Medway and Dartford have invested heavily recently in temporary housing schemes to help redress issues around homelessness and displacement of families to other boroughs.
A lack of temporary accommodation in the north of Tonbridge and Malling borough means people who become homeless often have to be placed a long distance from where they were living prior to losing their home.
This can add pressure to an already difficult situation, particularly for families with children who attend local schools or those with jobs in the area.
Initial estimates for preparing the site and building the units are in the region of £4m.
Funding has been earmarked from a variety of sources, including £2.2m from the government’s Local Authority Housing Fund, £1.4m of council reserves and up to £1m of contributions from developers.
The council closed the 278-space Blue Bell Hill car park in 2023 following a sharp drop in usage linked to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The site was also plagued with anti-social behaviour, including nuisance drivers, sparking more than 100 complaints from residents.
Cllr Robin Betts, the council’s cabinet member responsible for housing, said: “We are seeing increasing numbers of people finding themselves homeless, often through no fault of their own.
“More landlords selling up, rapidly rising rents and the surge in everyday living costs have all contributed.
“Losing your home is terrible for anyone, but particularly distressing for families with children and we have a duty to support them until they can get back on their feet.
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“Making use of this land has the potential to make a huge difference to our ability to meet this pressing need and crucially to ensure we are better able to house people in the area they know and have existing connections.”
The authority bought the land – more than three acres – for use as a car park from Kent County Council in 2003 for £100,000.
To see more planning applications and other public notices for your area, click here.
A proposal to finance the plan was agreed by a meeting of the full council yesterday (July 8).
