The Improvement & Innovation Advisory Committee convened to discuss the Economic Development Strategy, a residential development, and a potential hotel development, focusing on enhancing the local economy and meeting housing needs. The committee endorsed recommendations for Cabinet regarding the White Oak Leisure Centre Residential Quarter and considered options for the Bevan Place development, recommending a preferred option to Cabinet.

• Economic Development Strategy Update
• White Oak Leisure Centre Residential Quarter, Swanley – Development Proposal Update
• Bevan Place, Swanley – Development Proposal
• Work plan

Economic Development Strategy Annual Report

The committee reviewed the annual report on the Economic Development Strategy 2022-2027, noting its progress after three years. The strategy's success relies heavily on external grant funding, particularly from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). The Economic Development Strategy (EDS) sets out 5 strategic priorities:

• Environmental Sustainability;
• Skills resilience and job opportunities;
• Business resilience and growth;
• Infrastructure first, and
• Partnership delivery

The Economic Development Strategy 2022-27 vision statement is:

for Sevenoaks District to have a dynamic growing and inclusive economy for our businesses, communities and visitors that is kind to the environment, and contributes to the health and well-being of all our residents.

The report also highlighted an economic overview, referencing key statistics in Appendix A EDS monitoring report - Economic profile 2025 final. Key findings included:

• Sevenoaks District has 6,560 businesses, with 90% having fewer than 10 employees.
• A decline in businesses with 5-49 employees, but an increase in businesses with 50+ employees.
• The Sevenoaks workforce has a higher economic activity rate than Kent and Medway.
• A high percentage of residents are in senior management roles, with average earnings exceeding local and national averages.
• The Kent and Medway Economic Dashboard vulnerability index indicates a level of vulnerability within Sevenoaks' economic structure, requiring regular review and mitigation.
• The importance of self-employment within the district.
• The need to be proactive in investment and innovation, given recent Government policy changes.

The report also noted key achievements across the strategy's focus areas:

• Business and Enterprise: The West Kent Business Programme provided mentoring to 33 businesses, hosted workshops, and engaged with 198 Sevenoaks businesses. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund provided grants to local businesses, community groups, and Town and Parish Councils, with 162 grants awarded. Meeting Point Swanley continued to develop, with 1,752 visits and 653 bookings from 320 companies.
• Visitor and Rural Economy: Continued engagement with the visitor economy forum, participation in Visit Kent's 'Its in our Nature' campaign, and the launch of PuzzleLine, a virtual puzzle challenge along the Darent Valley Railway Line¹. The Darent Valley Community Rail Partnership continues to grow, promoting active travel and community engagement.
• Town Centres: £171,554 of UKSPF funding was used to improve town centre public realms, along with cultural grants and a town centre activity programme. A pilot programme with Save the High Streets offered artificial intelligence (AI) support to businesses.
• Skills and Employment: The Growth Guru's Programme supported 30 young people in Swanley towards employment, with 14 entering employment, two into further education, and five into volunteering. The WorkBoost Programme provided employment grants to local businesses, supporting 26 placements for those furthest from the workplace.

Challenges to achieving the EDS's activities include broadband investment, coach parking for visitors, and HE/FE provision in the district. A future challenge will be the lack of funding post-2026, requiring innovation and partnership working.

The committee was asked to note progress with the delivery of the Economic Development Strategy.

White Oak Leisure Centre Residential Quarter, Swanley – Development Proposal Update

The committee reviewed an update on the White Oak Leisure Centre Residential Quarter scheme in Swanley². The council had previously approved £21,852,476 to deliver 61 new homes using modern methods of construction (MMC). However, the original contractor, Top Hat, ceased trading in 2024. Following soft market testing, the council adapted the scheme to a traditional construction for 60 homes. A planning application (Reference: 25/00481/FUL) was submitted in February 2025, and the scheme was competitively tendered. The preferred bidder allows the scheme to be delivered within the approved budget, subject to planning consent.

The revised scheme includes:

• 45 flats (17 1-bed + 28 2-bed) with shared community garden
• 15 houses (3-bed) with private gardens
• Car parking (60 + visitor) spaces, cycle provision (60 + visitor), soft and hard landscaping and trees.

The project is time-critical to comply with the Brownfield Land Release Fund grant conditions, needing to be fulfilled by the end of March 2026, which would unlock £840,000 of grant funding. Subject to planning consent, contractor award is estimated in October 2025, with practical completion in October 2027.

The updated costs include an increase in Community Infrastructure Levy³ (CIL), a Section 106 allowance, and an allowance for holding costs post-completion. Financial appraisals were updated in May 2025 and refreshed in August 2025. The committee was asked to endorse the proposed recommendations to Cabinet, which included:

• Noting the change from a modern methods of construction (MMC) build to a traditional construction for a 60 homes scheme;
• Noting that the project is still within the budget approved by Council in April 2023;
• Agreeing to proceed with the preferred tenderer and the delivery of the scheme subject to planning consent being granted and as delegated in April 2023.

Bevan Place, Swanley – Development Proposal

The committee considered a report outlining options for the Bevan Place site in Swanley. In 2015, the council purchased the Swanley Working Men's Club to support the regeneration of the High Street. The council has since delivered the Meeting Point business hub, new homes at Elizabeth House, and 27 High Street. The report presented three options:

1. Proceed with a hotel development on the proposed site which will deliver an upper tier economy hotel to include a public restaurant, associated car parking and public realm improvements.
2. Dispose of the site.
3. No further action maintain status quo.

The proposed hotel development aims to support economic growth and regeneration in Swanley, protect and enhance the vitality of the town centre, develop a landmark building, provide sustainable and environmentally efficient hospitality services, enhance the urban fabric, enhance visitor infrastructure, and turn a vacant site into a productive asset.

The proposed hotel will offer c.105 rooms along with an enhanced food and beverage offer which includes a bar area and restaurant. To complete the offer a small fitness room and small-scale meeting and function areas will also be provided and could offer synergistic benefits with Meeting Point.

The report referenced a Colliers Market and Feasibility Study (Appendix F), which identified a market gap for an economy, broadly 3-star, nationally or internationally branded hotel in Swanley. The proposed hotel is well-positioned to capitalise on strong local demand. The proposed development will result in an increased spend in the local economy, create 30-50 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) posts, improve amenities, and enhance the image of Swanley.

Since 2016, the council has undertaken extensive consultation that focussed on the town's regeneration and development opportunity sites. In 2022, consultation was undertaken for the proposed residential-led scheme, and while comments received were for a different scheme, there are several comments that remain of relevance to this scheme. The issues identified through previous consultation events include: - traffic and parking - height and massing of the new buildings - Architectural form - Noise and dust during construction

The report also referenced the Sevenoaks Core Strategy⁴ and the Allocations and Development Management Plan (ADMP)⁵. The report also considered the Kent Accommodation Study, Visit Kent's Destination Management Plan 2024 to 2029, and Visit Kent's Perception research.

The report also considered the potential planning risk for any future development, including a hotel, and noted that the procurement of consultants, a development partner and/or construction contractor as well as the hotel operator, will need to be compliant with the Procurement Act 2023 and the Council's Financial and Procurement standing orders.

The project's indicative delivery programme, assuming planning consent is granted, estimates that the hotel will be operational by November 2028.

Detailed consideration was given to seven different delivery scenarios, which were also tested and refined to consider various financial structures using varying degrees of debt and equity.

The report also considered the financial implications, noting that the council commissioned Colliers, specialist hotel and tourism consultants, to investigate the feasibility and viability of a hotel development in Swanley. The total project cost is estimated at £18,454,106.

Alternative financing options were also considered for the scheme including direct debt financing by the Council, income strips and ground rent financing and a combination of these including the provision of equity from the Council's Capital Programme to reduce the loan to value ratio.

The report also outlined the project governance, noting that the consulting team will be led and assembled by Colliers.

The report also considered the option to dispose of the site to a private sector developer, with or without planning permission, and the option to take no further action and maintain the status quo.

The committee was asked to consider the options and recommend its preferred option to Cabinet.

Work plan

The committee noted its work plan for the upcoming year.