Areas
Kent. What is holding your site back?
Kent combines strong demand for homes with some unusual constraints. In the east, housing in the Stour catchment has been held up for years by nutrient pollution rules; the coast and estuaries are protected for birds; much of the county is National Landscape; and the west is Green Belt. Knowing which of these applies to a site, and how to deal with it, is often what decides whether a scheme is worth pursuing. We have live work in Kent on industrial buildings and on protected land.
Who it is for
For landowners, owners of industrial and commercial buildings, investors and developers across Kent and Medway, on sites of any size.
What to consider
- Nutrient neutrality in the Stour catchmentNew homes draining to the Stour catchment, which protects the Stodmarsh wetlands, must show they will not add to nutrient pollution. This has stalled thousands of homes around Ashford and Canterbury. Stour Environmental Credits, set up by Ashford Borough Council and Canterbury City Council, began selling nutrient credits in July 2026, with an initial programme expected to support more than 1,500 homes.
- The coast and estuariesThe Medway and Swale estuaries, the Thames marshes and the Thanet coast are protected for birds. New homes nearby usually pay a per-home contribution towards managing visitor pressure.
- National LandscapesThe Kent Downs and High Weald National Landscapes cover a large part of the county. Major development there faces a high bar, and permitted development rights such as Class Q and Class MA do not apply.
- Green Belt and grey beltWest Kent, including Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Dartford and Gravesham, is largely Green Belt. Since December 2024, grey belt land may be released for housing subject to the “golden rules” on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space.
- CouncilsKent has twelve district councils and Kent County Council, which is the highway and education authority, while Medway is a unitary council. Local government in Kent is being reorganised, which will bring new councils and, in time, new local plans.
- Industrial and commercial landMedway, the Thames corridor and the main motorway junctions have active industrial markets, where splitting, upgrading or converting older units can add value.
The options
- Promote land through the local planPut the land forward in the council’s call for sites and support it through the plan process.
- Apply nowWhere the council is short of housing land and the site’s constraints can be dealt with, an application may succeed ahead of the local plan.
- Find another route to valueWhere land cannot be developed, it may have value as biodiversity net gain or nutrient mitigation land.
- Improve or convert buildingsIndustrial and commercial buildings can be upgraded, split, converted or redeveloped.
How we help
- Feasibility studies: what the site or building could become, and what each option costs and returns
- Site identification: finding and securing the right site
- Development management: managing the scheme, including the planning process and the right planning consultant
- Delivery strategy for complex sites
- Project management
Case studies
Sites and buildings
Common questions
Is my site affected by nutrient neutrality?
It depends on where the new homes’ waste water would go. Sites draining to the Stour catchment, around Ashford and Canterbury, are affected; the council can confirm for a specific address.
Can I buy nutrient credits?
In the Stour catchment, Stour Environmental Credits sells credits to developers. Availability and price depend on the scheme and the release of credits.
My land cannot be developed. Does it still have value?
Possibly. Land in or near protected areas can sometimes be used for biodiversity net gain or nutrient mitigation, which developers pay for. Our Kent protected land case study is an example.
Do you cover Medway?
Yes, across all of Kent and Medway.