Selling Land in Kent

Kent has twelve district councils and Medway Council, which is a unitary authority covering Rochester, Chatham, Gillingham, Strood and the Hoo Peninsula. Kent County Council looks after roads, schools and minerals. Housing applications are decided by the districts and Medway, each with its own local plan.

• Seven councils are below 75%. Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Gravesham, Medway, Swale, Thanet and Folkestone and Hythe all delivered fewer than three quarters of the homes they needed.
• The Green Belt covers the west. The Metropolitan Green Belt takes in almost all of Sevenoaks district, which the council puts at 93%, and large parts of Dartford, Gravesham and Tonbridge and Malling.
• Two National Landscapes. The Kent Downs follow the chalk from the Surrey border to the White Cliffs of Dover. The High Weald covers the south west of the county around Tunbridge Wells and Cranbrook.
• Nutrient neutrality in the Stour catchment. New homes in parts of Ashford, Canterbury, Folkestone and Hythe, Maidstone and Swale must show they will not add nutrient pollution to the Stodmarsh wetlands.
• The councils are being reorganised. On 16 July 2026 ministers decided that Kent County Council, Medway and the twelve districts will be replaced by four new unitary councils from April 2028. Existing local plans stay in force until they are replaced.

The Metropolitan Green Belt

The Green Belt around London covers most of the west of the county. Sevenoaks District Council says 93% of its district is Green Belt, the second highest proportion in the country. Since December 2024, land that does not strongly contribute to Green Belt purposes can be treated as grey belt, In west Kent that often means former yards, nurseries and fields hemmed in by roads or homes. The Golden Rules on affordable housing, infrastructure and green space then apply. Our grey belt guide sets out the test.

Kent Downs and High Weald

The Kent Downs run in a long arc along the North Downs, above Sevenoaks, Maidstone, Ashford and Folkestone, and out to the coast at Dover. The High Weald covers the wooded, hilly country in the south west. Major development inside either is only allowed in exceptional circumstances. Towns such as Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Folkestone sit right against the Kent Downs, so the effect on the setting of the landscape is often the main issue on their edges.

Stodmarsh and Nutrient Neutrality

The Stodmarsh lakes east of Canterbury are protected for their wetland wildlife, which is threatened by phosphate and nitrate pollution from the River Stour catchment. New homes in the affected parts of the five councils must show they are nutrient neutral before permission is granted. Kent County Council says more than 7,000 homes have been delayed. Nutrient credits can now be bought from several providers, and in July 2026 the county council launched a £9.8 million fund for wetlands and treatment works that will create more credits. For landowners this is a cost and timing issue, not a reason to give up on a site.

Flood Risk and the Coast

The Thames estuary, the Medway, the Stour and the Darent all carry flood risk, and Romney Marsh, Sheppey and parts of the north Kent coast are low lying. Land in Flood Zones 2 and 3 faces the sequential test. A site with a wet corner can still work if the homes sit on the drier part. Our guide to flood risk and development land explains how this is assessed.

Roads and Rail

The M2, M20, M25 and A2 carry most of the county's traffic, and HS1 gives Ebbsfleet, Ashford, Canterbury and Folkestone fast trains to London. The Lower Thames Crossing east of Gravesend received development consent in 2025. Junction capacity is often tested closely, so safe access matters.

The route for your land depends on its council and whether it is in the Green Belt, a National Landscape or the Stodmarsh catchment. The main routes are:

1. Unmet need, outside the Green Belt. In Medway, Swale, Thanet, Folkestone and Hythe and the non Green Belt parts of Gravesham and Tonbridge and Malling, policy S5 treats the council as having evidenced unmet housing need. A well located site on the edge of a town or village has a real case, though other constraints still apply.
2. Grey belt, in west Kent. In Sevenoaks, Dartford, Gravesham and Tonbridge and Malling, the question is usually whether land is grey belt. Former yards and other previously developed land are often the strongest starting point.
3. Local plan allocation. Canterbury, Gravesham and Sevenoaks have all published new plans and Medway's is at examination. The four new unitary councils will eventually prepare their own plans. See our guide to call for sites and local plans.
4. Sites near stations. National policy now supports higher density homes within walking distance of well connected stations. Whether it applies depends on the station and its service.

In short, Kent has more open doors than most of the South East, but each has its own lock. We check the council, the Green Belt, the landscape and the nutrient position before we give a view.