Early Planning History

Before the Second World War there was a loose form of planning control, where building plans were approved by the district council, but I am uncertain what powers they had (if any) to prevent building.  Planning controls were introduced nationwide in 1943.  This was to cause trouble later on, for some people claimed they had been told they wouldn't need planning permission when they bounght plots in Gorsewood Road.

After the war, Hartley was very much in the forefront of the planner's minds.  The 1.10.1949 edition of the Gravesend Reporter records a protest meeting against Longfield and Hartley becoming an overspill town for 5,000 from Dartford.  Later in 1954 the Dartford Rural District Council Bulletin (no 20 - in New Ash Green file in Dartford Library) informed locals that the London County Council wanted to build a town for 20,000 - 30,000 in the Hartley-Longfield area covering 1,000 acres, not including the extra land needed for industry.

Hartley-Longfield and Meopham Town Map 1958

When the 1958 Hartley-Longfield and Meopham Town Map was adopted, Springcroft and Green Way had just been built, but much of central Hartley was still undeveloped.  The approach then was more to say where and when development would be allowed, rather than where it wouldn't be.  There was no green belt land locally then (the Green Belt only extended to the west of the Fawkham Valley Road), but "white" land, unallocated for development, where planning applications for new houses were normally refused.  This white area was roughly the same as today's green belt, but there have been encroachments upon it at the estates at Bramblefield, Downs Valley and Chantry Avenue.  In addition the back gardens of some of the houses on the south side of Manor Drive which were white land, have now been incorporated into the development area.  It was in 1957 that the proposed green belt was first mentioned in a refusal for development at Hartley Manor (56/356), but the area was still only proposed Green Belt when New Ash Green was given planning permission in 1963.

Within the development area the council wanted to see phased development, in two stages:

• For the first 5 years they only wanted infill development at Gresham Avenue, Larksfield, Carmelite Way, Cherry Trees, Stack Lane and Manor Drive.
• In the 6-20 year period land at the Wellfield Estate and the Round Ash Way area was earmarked for development.

It is clear from planning refusals at this time that the council preferred shopping parades to the individual shops in Hartley, and this is reflected in the zoning.  The only areas zoned for shops were the existing parade at the Ash Road/Church Road junction (which was to be extended to the site on the other side of the junction, which had already been earmarked for shops the past 50 years), and the future one at Cherry Trees.  Notable by its absence was the Little Shop in Church Road and Fairby Stores (the latter is now zoned for shopping).  One other site of interest is Billings Hill Shaw, which was to be the site of a new Primary School.

The North West Kent Town Map 1972

A copy of this is available to view in Hartley Library.  This was prepared just after the Green Belt was extended to Hartley in 1971.  This map prepared the ground for the developments of the late 1970s as the former white land at Billings Hill Shaw and the future Chantry Avenue were not included in the Green Belt.  In this map the far end of Fairby Lane and the new Primary School were all included in the village envelope (central development area), however the 1994 Sevenoaks District plan moved the green belt boundary to include them.  The plan also allowed for the station carpark on the Hartley side of the railway.

The North West Kent Town Map 1978

At a public enquiry into the North West Kent Town Plan in 1977, there were three applications to take land in Hartley out of the Green Belt

• A triangle of land with a frontage of 100 yards to Ash Road near New Ash Green (now occupied by the Middle School and Northfield). Bovis (New Ash Green) Limited said they had planning permission to build there in 1964, and that their master plan (which showed no housing here) should not be regarded as definitive. In reply Kent County Council said the 1964 planning permission was exhausted so far as the housing provision goes. The enquiry also received support for the county council from Hartley Parish Council, who said it "was an essential division between Hartley and New Ash Green and should be preserved as green belt for all time".
• The inspector agreed with the council. This is a matter for normal development control powers.
• The 1½ acres of Stocks Farm, Church Road. The applicant had argued there had been considerable development along Church Road, and the council had approved new housing particularly at Billings Hill Shaw that was a departure from the previous development plan. He only wanted low density housing which would be unobtrusive. The council replied that they needed "rigorous.. planning control" to maintain the character of Church Road, and a previous application to build there had been refused on appeal. They wanted to prevent the coalescence of Hartley and New Ash Green, and had in any case already released land for development at Downs Valley, Chantry Avenue and Billings Hill Shaw. There is a clear break between the latter and Stocks Farm.
• The inspector agreed with the council. This is a matter for normal development control powers.
• Hartley Grange and proposed public open space at Billings Hill Shaw. George Wimpey & Co Ltd wanted reassurance that no part of the land they wanted to build Billings Hill Shaw on would be allocated as green belt. They are prepared to sell 4 acres to the Parish Council for this purpose.
• The inspector said there was no difference between the council's and developer's positions and therefore no amendment was required.