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.

Sevenoaks District Council’s Cabinet has appointed the construction firm Wates as preferred contractor for the regeneration of the land east of the High Street, clearing the way for a brand-new town-centre leisure centre. Cabinet agreed the appointment at its meeting on 16 June 2026, the decision trailed in the officer report we covered last week. (Sevenoaks District Council, New milestone for new Sevenoaks Leisure Centre and town centre regeneration)

What Cabinet agreed

The council values the whole scheme at around £138 million and says it is designed to be self-financing, with income from new homes paying for the leisure centre and the public improvements. The council notes there are no major Government grants available for a leisure centre rebuild, which is why the project leans on the value of the housing. (Sevenoaks District Council, New milestone for new Sevenoaks Leisure Centre and town centre regeneration)

As set out by the council, the scheme on the council-owned plots between the High Street and Knole Park would deliver:

  • a new, energy-efficient leisure centre to replace the ageing one on Buckhurst Lane;
  • a cultural hub and market hall at 96 High Street;
  • new energy-efficient homes;
  • improved public transport links and enhancements to the Buckhurst Lane and Suffolk Way areas;
  • new public green spaces and a green corridor towards Knole Park.

Councillor Michael Horwood, the Cabinet Member for Improvement and Innovation, said: “We’re 100% committed to delivering a brand-new leisure centre for Sevenoaks, as we understand how vital sports and leisure are for the mental and physical health of our residents.” (Sevenoaks District Council, New milestone for new Sevenoaks Leisure Centre and town centre regeneration)

What happens next

The appointment is not the final hurdle. Full Council is due to vote on the funding for the scheme on 14 July 2026, which is when the loan facility recommended to underwrite the public works will be decided. The council says public consultation and design refinement will run over the coming months, with a planning application expected in late 2027 and construction, subject to planning consent, starting in 2028. It estimates the build would support 263 construction jobs, with 89 permanent jobs once the new centre and homes are complete. (Sevenoaks District Council, New milestone for new Sevenoaks Leisure Centre and town centre regeneration)

What it means for residents

For now, nothing changes on the ground: the current Sevenoaks Leisure Centre on Buckhurst Lane stays open, and no building work is imminent. The decision commits the council to a single development partner and a delivery route, but the buildings themselves are still to be designed, consulted on and granted planning permission. The point at which residents get a formal say on what is actually built is the planning application, pencilled in for late 2027.

The two dates worth marking are 14 July 2026, when Full Council decides the money, and the consultation the council says will follow over the coming months. You can read the Cabinet papers on the council’s meeting system, and when the planning application is lodged it will appear on the Public Access portal; our guide to tracking Sevenoaks planning applications explains how to follow and comment on it. The council has also just backed a separate £2m upgrade to Edenbridge Leisure Centre.

Sources

Image: Sevenoaks bus station on Buckhurst Lane, within the regeneration site. Photo by David Kemp, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Geograph.