15 modular housing units on a council-owned car park

An innovative plan to boost the supply of temporary accommodation in Tonbridge and Malling was approved by councillors in July.

The proposal aims to build approximately 15 modular housing units on a council-owned car park at Bluebell Hill to help meet growing demand from people who find themselves homeless, particularly in the north of the borough.

Subject to planning permission, which will include public consultation, the scheme 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 transport links, including bus routes, with a supermarket and children’s nursery both less than 15 minutes’ walk away.

Like many other local authorities, Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council has seen increasing demand for help with homelessness, with around 120 households at any one time needing accommodation.

The council 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. Government figures for 2023-2024  show nearly 200,000 cases nationally requiring council help, up 12.5 per cent on the previous year.

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 national Local Authority Housing Fund, £1.4m of council reserves and up to £1m of contributions from developers.

The council closed the Bluebell Hill commuter coach car park in 2023 following a sharp drop in usage linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. The site had also become a hot spot for anti-social behaviour 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.

“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.”

Councils elsewhere in the country have adopted similar approaches to meeting demand for temporary accommodation.

Source: Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council
Picture credit: Oleksandr Pidvalnyi