Sevenoaks & District · Local news you can trust
Sevenoaks councillors have signed off a loan facility of up to £40m with Wates for the Land East of the High Street scheme. An amendment to bring the final agreement back to Council was voted down.
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Council
Sevenoaks District Council to be abolished and folded into a new West Kent council
The Government has decided Sevenoaks District Council will be scrapped in 2028 and replaced by a West Kent unitary council covering Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling, Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone. What changes, and when.
Planning
Councillors reject officer advice on Underriver stables, grant homes at Badgers Mount and Riverhead
Sevenoaks councillors went against their own officers on 9 July, saying a stable block at Underriver should be refused for harming the National Landscape. Two homes at Badgers Mount and a house at Riverhead were granted.
Council
Councillors decide tonight on the £40m loan for the Land East regeneration
Sevenoaks Full Council meets on 14 July to sign off a loan of up to £40m for the Land East of the High Street scheme, a new leisure centre, homes and public realm to be built with Wates. Here is exactly what councillors are being asked to approve.
Council
Sevenoaks households get wheelie bins from October as recycling service is overhauled
Sevenoaks District Council will deliver around 100,000 wheelie bins from mid-July, start kerbside glass collections, and move to alternate weekly waste and recycling from 12 October 2026. The green recycling bags are being scrapped.
What's On
Free Family Fun Days return to Sevenoaks villages across the summer holidays
Sevenoaks District Council is running free Family Fun Days for under-12s at 20 villages and parks from 27 July to 21 August 2026, with arts, crafts, sport and free bike marking by Kent Police at several sites. No booking needed.
Council
Sevenoaks bin crews start at 6am until 17 July as heat alert bites
Sevenoaks District Council is running waste, recycling and food waste collections from 6am until Friday 17 July 2026 during the heatwave, and wants bins out the night before. An amber heat-health alert covers the South East from 8 to 12 July.
Planning
Cabinet approves final Local Plan consultation: how to have your say from 23 July
Sevenoaks District Council's Cabinet has approved its revised Local Plan for a final public consultation, giving residents until 17 September to comment on 17,460 planned homes. Here is how to respond.
News
Crime in Sevenoaks: May 2026 figures
Police recorded 75 crimes in the Sevenoaks area in May 2026. The full breakdown by crime type, the streets with the most reports, and how to check your own street, from the police.uk open data.
Housing
Work starts on 60 homes at the old White Oak Leisure Centre site in Swanley
Building has begun on 60 homes on part of the former White Oak Leisure Centre site in Swanley. The council-backed scheme, built by Skillcrown, helps pay back the cost of the £22m leisure centre that opened in 2022.
Council
Sevenoaks council to consult on new homelessness strategy as housing register reaches 1,142
Sevenoaks District Council will consult residents on a new five-year homelessness strategy from 13 July to 21 August. Its housing register now holds 1,142 households. Here is what the plan and the figures show.
Transport
Sevenoaks station starts replacing platform 1 and 2 lifts as platforms 3 and 4 reopen
Sevenoaks station has reopened the lifts to platforms 3 and 4 and begun replacing the lifts serving platforms 1 and 2, the next phase of a renewal running to winter 2026. Here is what it means for step-free travel.
Planning
Green belt homes at Badgers Mount head to Sevenoaks planning committee on 9 July
Two homes at Badgers Mount, a much-altered house at Riverhead and a stable block at Underriver all go before Sevenoaks councillors on 9 July. Officers recommend all three for approval, each called in by a ward councillor.
What's On
Free Bradbourne Lakes summer festival returns to Sevenoaks on 11 July
A free family festival comes to Bradbourne Lakes Park in Sevenoaks on Saturday 11 July 2026, from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, with a bouncy castle, magician, history walks and raft-building, tied to the £2.1m restoration of the historic lakes.
Planning
Edenbridge 135-home green belt scheme granted by Sevenoaks committee
Sevenoaks councillors granted outline permission for up to 135 homes on green belt land south of Phillippines Close, Edenbridge, after lawyers warned that deferring the decision would be a material error of law. The draft minutes confirm the outcome.
Council
Edenbridge's Spitals Cross estate nears the end of a £10.3m rebuild, with 23 new homes due this autumn
The biggest investment in the Spitals Cross estate in Edenbridge in a generation is nearing completion, with 23 affordable homes, a replacement community hall and shop, solar panels and 60 new parking bays due in autumn 2026.
Planning
Sevenoaks revises Local Plan upward to 17,460 homes with new sites at Broke Hill, Brittains Lane and London Road
Sevenoaks District Council has published a revised Local Plan, raising its housing target to 17,460 homes and adding sites at Broke Hill golf course, Brittains Lane and London Road. A six-week public consultation opens on 23 July.
Council
Sevenoaks bin collections start an hour earlier during the heatwave
Sevenoaks District Council is starting waste and recycling collections an hour earlier from 22 to 26 June 2026 because of the hot weather, and is asking residents to put their sacks and food waste bins out by 6am on their collection day.
Planning
Sevenoaks committee grants Farningham Traveller pitches and Ash homes; Edenbridge 135-home decision still awaited
Sevenoaks councillors granted eight Traveller pitches at Farningham, up to nine homes at Ash and a Halstead extension at the 18 June planning committee. The 135-home Edenbridge decision has not yet been issued.
Community
Sevenoaks names its 2026 community heroes at Making it Happen awards
Twelve winners, from DAVSS to a lifetime achievement award for Jan Berry, were honoured at Sevenoaks District Council's Making it Happen Community and Voluntary Awards on 18 June 2026, after more than 100 nominations.
Council
Council backs more than £2m of works at Edenbridge Leisure Centre
Sevenoaks District Council has agreed to spend more than £2 million on Edenbridge Leisure Centre, with a new sports hall roof, refitted changing village and replacement heating planned between now and 2027.
Council
Cabinet appoints Wates to deliver new Sevenoaks leisure centre and town-centre scheme
Sevenoaks District Council's Cabinet has appointed Wates as preferred contractor for the £138m Land East of the High Street regeneration, with a new leisure centre, homes and a market hall. Full Council votes on the funding on 14 July.
Planning
Up to nine homes on Ash green belt back before councillors after gas pipeline objection cleared
Officers recommend approval for up to nine homes on green belt land at Church End, Ash Road, three months after refusing a near-identical scheme over a high-pressure gas pipeline. Councillors decide on Thursday 18 June.
Council
Wates lined up to regenerate land east of Sevenoaks High Street, with a £40m council loan on the table
Officers are asking Cabinet to appoint Wates as development partner for the land east of Sevenoaks High Street and to back a loan of up to £40m for a new leisure centre, town-centre homes and public realm. Cabinet decides on 16 June.
Council
Officers back £650,000 transfer of the Stag to the town council as Cabinet prepares to decide
Sevenoaks council officers are recommending Cabinet approve handing the Stag arts centre to the town council for £650,000, or granting a 30-year lease. A late commercial bid and local government reorganisation complicate the decision on 16 June.
Planning
Eight Traveller pitches at Farningham: planners back the scheme they refused in 2023, citing a 181-pitch shortfall
Sevenoaks planning officers are recommending approval for eight Gypsy and Traveller pitches at Farningham Hill Stud on the A20, two years after refusing an identical scheme. Councillors decide on Thursday 18 June.
Planning
Up to 135 homes on Edenbridge green belt: officers back scheme that drew 151 objections, councillors decide next week
Planning officers are recommending approval for up to 135 homes on green belt land south of Phillippines Close, Edenbridge, despite 151 objections. Sevenoaks councillors decide on Thursday 18 June.
Transport
No pedestrian crossing for the A25 at Bessels Green, county highways officers conclude after residents' petition
Kent County Council has ruled out a pedestrian crossing on the A25 Westerham Road at Bessels Green after surveys found 16 people crossing in 24 hours and a carriageway too narrow for a refuge island.
Planning
Village housing plans at New Ash Green and Kemsing lead 30 new Sevenoaks planning applications
Thirty planning applications were validated across the Sevenoaks district in the week beginning 1 June 2026. Two stand out: outline housing proposals at New Ash Green and Kemsing for up to nine and seven homes. Here is what was lodged and how to check your own street.
Planning
Councillors refuse 235-acre New Ash Green solar farm despite £400,000 appeal warning
Sevenoaks councillors have refused a 72,000-panel solar farm on 235 acres between Ridley and New Ash Green, voting against their own planning officers' advice and a developer warning of a £400,000 cost award at appeal.
Council
The Stag's future: council offers town a £650,000 buyout or a 30-year lease
Sevenoaks District Council has offered the town council two ways to secure the Stag Community Arts Centre long term: buy it outright for £650,000, or take a new 30-year lease at a peppercorn rent. A decision runs through three meetings this summer.
Council
Sevenoaks recycling hits record high as food waste rounds collect 220 tonnes in a month
Sevenoaks District Council says its new weekly food waste collections gathered 220 tonnes in their first month and lifted the district's recycling rate by 6 per cent, putting it in the top quarter of Kent councils.
Planning
Sevenoaks planning decisions: two new-build schemes refused, Oakhill Road revamp approved
Sevenoaks councillors refused two residential schemes and approved a house revamp at their 21 May meeting, turning down five flats off St James Road and two homes at Bessels Green. Here is what was decided and what it means for residents.
Planning
Sevenoaks Planning News: New Local Plan Due This Summer as District Faces 1,145 Homes a Year
The latest Sevenoaks planning news: a final-draft Local Plan lands this summer with a fresh comment window, the Government's 1,145-homes-a-year target, and the Bradbourne Lakes approval.
Roadworks
Sevenoaks Roadworks: A25, M25 and Rail Disruption Hitting Drivers and Commuters This June
A current guide to the Sevenoaks roadworks and travel disruption in June 2026: A25 Westerham Road weekend closures over the A21, M25 Junction 5 repairs after a lorry crash, and the lift outage at Sevenoaks station, with what it means for you.
Community
Sevenoaks Community News: New Greatness Pavilion On Track for August as Awards Honour Local Heroes
The latest Sevenoaks community news: the £2m Greatness Recreation Ground sports pavilion is on course to open in August 2026, and the district's Making it Happen awards return on 18 June to honour local volunteers.
What's On
What's On in Sevenoaks This Month: June 2026 Festival, Knole Events and Stag Theatre
A dated guide to what's on in Sevenoaks in June 2026: the Summer Festival, Three Arts Festival, Great Big Green Week at Knole, the Stag, and the weekly markets, with venues, dates and what we could confirm on prices.
Food & Drink
New Restaurant Sevenoaks: Shwen Shwen Marks First Year as Michelin Names It Opening of the Year
The most talked about new restaurant in Sevenoaks turns one. Shwen Shwen by Maria Bradford on Bank Street has won a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the Opening of the Year award. Here is what the Sierra Leonean restaurant means for the town's dining scene.
Council
Sevenoaks District Council News: New Bins, Council Tax Rise and What Changes for Residents in 2026
The latest Sevenoaks district council news for residents: weekly food waste from 27 April, two free wheelie bins and glass recycling from autumn 2026, and a 2.98% council tax rise. What each decision means for your bills and bin day.
Crime
Sevenoaks Crime News: Police Issue CCTV Appeal Over Driveway Car Theft
The latest Sevenoaks crime news: a live Kent Police CCTV appeal over a car taken from a driveway, what the police.uk data shows about local trends, and how to report or stay informed.
Business
Sevenoaks Business News: Bligh's Meadow Sold in Town Centre Deal
The latest Sevenoaks business news: Bligh's Meadow Shopping Centre has changed hands in a town centre deal, with new owners and a new manager promising to reposition the High Street scheme. What the sale means for shoppers and traders.
Local Info
Sevenoaks Bin Collection Days: Your 2026 Guide to Bins, Recycling and the New Wheelie Bins
How to find your Sevenoaks bin collection days, what goes in which bin, bank holiday changes, and the big 2026 switch to wheelie bins, food waste caddies and glass collections.
Local Info
Parking in Sevenoaks: Car Parks, Tariffs, Sunday and Free Parking
A plain-English guide to parking in Sevenoaks: the main town car parks, current 2026 tariffs, Sunday and bank holiday free parking, season tickets, blue badge rules and station parking.
Local Info
Sevenoaks Council Tax Bands 2026/27: What You Pay by Band A to H
A plain-English guide to Sevenoaks council tax bands for 2026/27: the charge for every band A to H, what Band D is, how the bill splits between KCC, police, fire, the district and your parish, and how to check, challenge or cut your bill.
Local Info
Sevenoaks to London Trains: Times, Fastest Routes and Season Ticket Cost
A clear commuter guide to Sevenoaks to London trains: journey times, frequency, the fastest service, the last train home and what a season ticket costs in 2026.
What's On
Things to Do in Sevenoaks: Knole, Gardens, Walks and the High Street (2026)
A local guide to the best things to do in Sevenoaks in 2026: Knole and its deer park, Riverhill and Emmetts gardens, Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, the high street and the Stag, with current opening times and prices.
News
Sevenoaks Crime Figures: What the Latest Police Data Shows
A plain-English read of the latest Sevenoaks crime figures from police.uk open data: the main categories, the trend over six months, and how to check your own street.
News
Sevenoaks Planning Applications: How to Find, Read and Comment on Them
A plain-English guide to Sevenoaks planning applications: where to search the council's Public Access portal, how long you get to comment, what counts, plus a roundup of notable local schemes.
Property
Sevenoaks House Prices: What Homes Really Sell For in 2026
A plain-English guide to Sevenoaks house prices in 2026: the average sold price from HM Land Registry, the trend, prices by property type, the priciest streets, and how Sevenoaks compares to Kent and the rest of England.
Sevenoaks Online covers the town and the villages around it, from Otford and Kemsing to Westerham, Edenbridge and Swanley. We do two things. We report the local news that comes off public records, planning decisions, crime figures, council spending, house prices, so you can see what is actually changing in the district. And we keep the everyday information you look up again and again in one clear place: when your bin is collected, where to park, what your council tax band costs, and how long the train to London really takes.
Every story here is built from a real, named source: the council’s own registers, the police’s open crime data, the Land Registry, and other public records, and we link to that source so you can check it yourself. We are upfront about where a figure comes from and when we last updated it. If we get something wrong, tell us and we will correct it.