All about the Chilmington Development

The plans for the Chilmington area first started to form back in 1991 when it was identified by Ashford Borough Council (ABC) as a potential development site. When ABC produced the Greater Ashford Development Framework in 2005, the area identified spread over both sides of the section of the A28 running from Singleton towards Bethersden. At this point a number of residents started to campaign for more protection of the area on the Great Chart side of the A28. Cllr Ian McClintock and Chilmington resident Ian Wolverson were particularly active in the campaign having vast local knowledge from living in the area, and an interest in planning matters more generally. They successfully fought for the implementation of the 'red line', the boundary outside of which no development should take place. This line prevented encroachment across the A28 towards the ancient village of Great Chart and the new - more square, less rectangular - area was added to the Core Strategy document in 2008.

Following this the Chilmington Green Area Action Plan 2012 was produced as the site specific plans for the Chilmington area became more detailed.

A separate piece of work was also carried out to produce the Village Design Statement 2005 which fought to protect the ancient village of Great Chart and it's unique characteristics.

The final and most detailed document relating to Chilmington was then produced, the Design and Access Statement 2012 (link pending) to set out exactly how the development as a whole would be built. This took a considerable amount of time to discuss, produce and consult on and many months were dedicated to this by parish councillors and local residents for this to be passed by a central government appointed examiner. We thank them for their involvement in this early work where they spoke at numerous meetings and consultations.

Once the Design and Access Statement was finalised, the first overarching planning application was submitted in 2012 12/00400/AS

Phase 1 housebuilding started in 2015 and is ongoing. The entire development is expected to take over 25 years to complete.

All planning applications relating to the development can be viewed via Ashford Borough Council's planning portal.

The Chilmington development currently falls within the Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council boundary, so the parish council is a statutory consultee on all planning applications relating to the new area. Members of public are welcome to join any of our planning meetings if they wish to comment on, or listen to, discussion about a specific application. Residents are also encouraged to submit comments themselves if they have an opinion on specific applications.

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Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council are very aware of the increasingly urgent issue regarding the lack of safe walking or cycling access to Chilmington Green Secondary School.

The parish council has been in regular contact with officers and councillors at Kent County Council about this issue, and that of access to the primary school since 2022. A number of meetings took place online and in person during this period and the following correspondence was sent and received.

Letter from GCwSPC to KCC 29/09/2022

Letter from KCC to GCwSPC 31/03/2023

Letter from GCwSPC to KCC 13/07/2023

Letter from KCC to GCwSPC 24/07/2023 

However, as students are now faced with the very real prospect of not being able to make their way to the new secondary school site without an adult and a car to get them there, we have once again made a push to see progress made.

Letter from GCwSPC to KCC 14/05/2025 

The latest response was received on 21st May 2025

 Letter from KCC to GCWSPC 21/05/2025

Free to use transport

After correspondence with the Home to School Transport team, we can confirm the following:

Transport Eligibility Officers have visited the site to assess the route to the school, should no additional access routes be developed. I can confirm that, in its current state, the route to the school is considered hazardous according to the Home to School Transport Hazardous Guidelines. Therefore, if the road and footpath network remain unchanged when the school opens, students attending the school as the nearest appropriate to their home address will be entitled to transport assistance.

We will be writing to parents advising them of their eligibility after the May half term, we are trying to give as much time as possible for the situation to be resolved before we contact parents, however, given the work involved in setting up the transport required we cannot leave it any longer than the beginning of June.

As we will be writing to parents to advise them of their eligibility, there is no need for them to apply before they have received our letter.

Whilst this is good news for those living closer to Chilmington School than to other secondary schools in the area, it doesn’t help those students who are closer in distance to schools such as The John Wallis Academy. It also doesn’t instil healthy walking or cycling habits (Active Travel) in students from the beginning. So we will continue to push for more progress on this. If you have any specific questions regarding home to school transport, the team email address is homeschooltransport@kent.gov.uk

Road closures have now been scheduled for parts of Chilmington Green Road, the A28 and Sandy Lane, which seem to be to allow the partly build roundabout on the A28 to be brought into use, and carry out work to close off the part of Chilmington Green Road that needs to be closed before the secondary school is allowed to open.

Chilmington Green Road Closure - between Chilmington Green Lane and Mock Lane

A28/Sandy Lane Road Closure - this has now been extended to 12th September 2025

Chilmington Green Road  - between the secondary school entrance the nearby industrial estate

Planning application PA/2025/0857 was submitted on 7th May 2025 requesting 'Variation of condition 21 (off-site infrastructure) for planning permission 21/01914/AS to allow for the opening of the school prior to the infrastructure works being completed.' Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council objected to this application for the reasons recorded in the 19th May 2025 Planning Committee Minutes

Planning application OTH/2025/1359 has been submitted for 'Non-material amendment to 21/00839/AS for Active Travel to provide pedestrian access between Chilmington Avenue and the Secondary School Site entrance. The Active Travel Route comprises of a footpath and verge within land adjacent to Chilmington Green Road at Chilmington Green, Great Chart, Ashford, Kent: to allow for changes to the wording of Condition 5 regarding existing hedges and hedgerows.' This will hopefully create a safe pathway for students approaching the school but the Parish Council still has concerns about the safety of the routes that lead to the footpath.

A Traffic Regulation Order was also applied to Mock Lane on 1st August 2025, which will reduce the speed of the traffic travelling along the narrower parts of the road.

A Traffic Regulation Order will be applied to Chilmington Green Road to close off the road at the points indicated in the document, which will come into effect at some point after 8th September.

A Traffic Regulation Order will be applied to various parts of the A28 Ashford Road, The Avenue, and Chilmington Green Road, which will also come into effect at some point after 8th September 2025.

The school opened on 8th September 2025. At this point there is still no public transport route to the school. Kent County Council have approved the safe route linked below for those walking from the Singleton and Great Chart areas.

Safe Walking Route to Chilmington Green Secondary School 

Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council is aware that Hodson Developments, the lead developer for parts of the Chilmington Green site, entered administration in March 2026. We understand that this may be concerning for residents, particularly in relation to the future of building work, roads, schools and community facilities. We hope the following update provides some clarity and reassurance.

Hodson Developments and several related companies entered administration in March 2026. In simple terms, this means independent specialists (administrators) have taken control of those companies to manage their financial situation and deal with their assets. Their role is not to continue development in the way a housebuilder would, but to look at how the company’s interests can be managed, including the potential sale of land or project phases.

It is important to stress that the Chilmington Green development has not been cancelled. Planning permission remains in place, and other developers involved in the wider scheme are not affected by Hodson’s administration. Over time, it is expected that new developers may take over parts of the site and continue delivering homes and supporting infrastructure.

We know that infrastructure is a key concern for residents, particularly in relation to roads, schools and local facilities. These are secured through legal agreements (known as Section 106 agreements), which are tied to the land rather than to a single developer. This means that future developers are generally still required to deliver these commitments. However, there may be delays while the situation is resolved and while new arrangements are put in place. Ashford Borough Council and Kent County Council are currently taking legal advice and working to ensure that key infrastructure obligations are protected.

The Borough and County Councils have confirmed that they are closely monitoring the situation and considering any impacts on existing agreements. Their priority remains to ensure that the development provides the necessary infrastructure to support both current and future residents.

Great Chart with Singleton Parish Council recognises that this situation may create uncertainty, particularly for those living in or moving to the Chilmington area. Please be assured that the Parish Council is actively monitoring developments, is in contact with Ashford Borough Council, and will continue to share updates as more information becomes available. Our priority is to support residents and to help ensure that Chilmington Green develops as a well-served, sustainable community with the infrastructure it needs.

We will continue to keep residents informed through our website and social media channels. If you have any specific concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.