Sevenoaks News
The latest Sevenoaks news: planning decisions, council and crime updates, business and community stories, each linked back to its official source.
Top story
Edenbridge Market named Small Market Team of the Year
Edenbridge's Thursday market has won NABMA's Small Market Team of the Year, five years after the town council stepped in to save it. What the judges praised.
More stories
Roadworks
Sevenoaks Roadworks: Twelve New Kent Closures and Four M20 Nights
Kent adds 12 Sevenoaks closures, from Lime Tree Walk on 5 October to the A25 at Sundridge on 22 October, and the M20 westbound shuts for four nights.
Council
Sevenoaks District Council news: parking freeze, bins 12 Oct
Wheelie bins start Monday 12 October, a parking charge freeze with cash phased out goes to Cabinet on 20 October, and the overspend is £130,000.
Council
Sevenoaks Rugby Club rent cut to peppercorn, £11,740 grants
Sevenoaks Rugby Club's £3,750 ground rent drops to a peppercorn after 25 December, and eight local charities share £11,740 in town council grants. Who got what.
Sport
Sevenoaks Town win 2-0 at Steyning, rugby opens 68-12
Sevenoaks Town won 2-0 at Steyning for a third straight win and sit 7th. Rugby beat Maidenhead 68-12, the women won 92-0, and both 1st XVs play Saturday.
Parking
Sevenoaks parking charges frozen, but cash to go from April
Councillors back a Sevenoaks parking charge freeze from April 2027, with cash phased out and a weekend charge at Gordon Road. Cabinet decides on 20 October.
Business
Sevenoaks business news: Bligh's Meadow relaunch, 57 firms
Bligh's Meadow has a new website and a new commercial contact, and the £2m business fund closed on 30 September. Plus 57 new firms and a pub wound up.
Council
The Stag: 600 pledges top £117,000, beating £100k target
Over 600 pledges worth more than £117,000 beat the £100,000 target to help Sevenoaks Town Council buy the Stag's £650,000 freehold. What happens next.
Council
Sevenoaks wheelie bins start 12 October: glass goes in too
Wheelie bins replace green bags on Monday 12 October, with glass in the green-lid bin for the first time. Deliveries end on the 11th; what to do before then.
What's On
What's on in Sevenoaks this weekend, 2 to 4 October
A free food festival on the Vine, Sevenoaks Town at home, a Sunday tea for the over-55s, and the Leigh road closures for the half marathon.
Community
Sevenoaks community news: Stag pledges beat £100k target
Stag pledges reached £117,000, beating the £100,000 target. Bradbourne Lakes is shut until summer 2027, and £5,000 grants close at noon on 6 October.
Planning
Sevenoaks planning: 2,175 Local Plan comments are in
2,175 Local Plan comments go to an inspector in 2027. Broke Hill's 660 homes were refused on 24 September; the next planning committee sits on 15 October.
Crime
Sevenoaks crime: 86 reports in August, lowest in two years
Sevenoaks town logged 86 crime reports in August, the fewest in two years. Burglary is down 54% on the year, shoplifting up 14%. Every figure, month by month.
Community
Greatness Pavilion up for grabs: ideas due 31 December
The old Greatness football pavilion is free and Sevenoaks Town Council wants ideas by 31 December. What is inside, what it won't allow, how to bid.
Health
Sevenoaks GPs each cover 2,570 patients, 18% above England
Each full-time GP in Sevenoaks district covers 2,570 patients, against 2,173 in England. No practice has closed its list in four years, the NHS says under FOI.
Planning
West Kingsdown Traveller pitch allowed on appeal for 3 years
An inspector has quashed the council's enforcement notice at St Clere Hill Road and granted a 3-year, one-family permission, citing a shortage of pitches.
Planning
Four towns oppose CIL cut, want levy kept up to 149 homes
Sevenoaks, Swanley, Edenbridge and Westerham town councils have jointly objected to ending the levy on schemes of 10+ homes, citing developer cash left unspent.
Crime
Sevenoaks crime news: 5 open appeals, Swanley graffiti
Five Kent Police appeals are open around Sevenoaks, the newest over graffiti on Swanley shops and the rec on 19 and 20 September. Every reference number.
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks gets £260,000 for new signs linking bus and rail
Kent has given Sevenoaks Town Council £260,000 for signs linking the High Street, the station and the bus station, with £51,225 added by the town council.
Licensing
Swanley petrol station bids to sell alcohol 24 hours a day
Swanley Service Station on London Road wants to sell alcohol round the clock and hot food overnight. Six neighbours object; councillors decide on 8 October.
Otford
Hospices of Hope, Otford: 35 years marked with a carnival
The Otford charity behind hospice care in Romania and five other countries turns 35. Carnival on 10 October, board games at its bistro, then a wreath workshop.
Parking
Sevenoaks car parks could stop taking cash from April
Two options for 2027 parking charges: a 2.5% rise, or no rise but no cash at council machines and £5 weekend parking at Gordon Road. Councillors meet Thursday.
Council
Sevenoaks council this week: bins, parking, housing list
Half the new bin lorries due by 12 October, stricter housing register rules, CCTV upgrade dates and a parking choice: every council meeting from 1 to 8 October.
Crime
Sevenoaks dog theft: lurcher stolen from Dunton Green farm
A group forced entry to farmland in Rye Lane, Dunton Green, and stole a lurcher from its kennel, Kent Police say. Who to call with CCTV or dashcam footage.
Community
Sevenoaks in Bloom wins three golds at Wisley awards
Sevenoaks won three Gold awards at South & South East in Bloom on 25 September, and the House in the Basement youth café was rated Outstanding.
Crime
Sevenoaks crime rate: 52.5 per 1,000, 37% below average
Sevenoaks recorded 52.5 crimes per 1,000 residents in the year to March 2026, 37% below the England and Wales rate. The Home Office figures, and what they miss.
Planning
Sevenoaks Planning Portal: Direct Link, 21 Days to Object
Search any Sevenoaks application by postcode or reference on Public Access, free and no account needed. You get 21 days to comment, and here is what counts.
Earlier stories
September 2026
- Sevenoaks fly-tipping reports up 58% as fines stay rare
- Kemsing: nine more homes sought beside Childsbridge site
- Sevenoaks planning applications: 6am petrol station bid
- Broke Hill refusal: developer asks for government call-in
- Westerham padel courts: five-court bid, comments by 13 Oct
- Kings Arms Westerham wins 1am licence with new noise curbs
- Sevenoaks planning decisions: 3 refusals in 15 since May
- New Ash Green wheelie bins: no lorries in garage courts
- Greatness pavilion: who paid the £2.1m and who built it
- Sevenoaks Town 5-0 Eastbourne: Barrington hat-trick
- Westerham phone mast vote closes 3pm on 2 October
- Swanley graffiti: boy, 15, arrested over town centre damage
- What's on in Sevenoaks this weekend, 25 to 27 September
- Sevenoaks council finances: borrowing 'not sustainable'
- Westerham robbery inquiry: four arrests, 300 items seized
- Vine PSPO extended to 2029 as Halstead consultation agreed
- The Vine PSPO: order stays until 2029 as ASB falls
- Halstead car meets: 91 fines and warnings in four weeks
- Broke Hill 660 homes decided Thursday: council month ahead
- Silver Sevenoaks: free over-55s events October to December
- Greatness Football & Community Centre opens after £2m build
- Sevenoaks new businesses: 57 registered in three weeks
- Sevenoaks planning applications: barn home bid among 32 new
- Westerham food hygiene: Market Square caterer rated zero
- Shoreham fly-tipper handed 28-week suspended sentence
- Sevenoaks Town beat Margate 2-1 for first win of season
- Sevenoaks CIL plan: 8 of 16 object, all of them residents
- Sevenoaks hosepipe ban stays: Darent back to pre-rain low
- Pig & Pickle Seal Chart: pub company goes into liquidation
- Hollybush football goals: petition open until 17 October
- Sevenoaks crime down 3.1%, district police commander says
- Ightham Primary graded strong in all seven Ofsted areas
- Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve: Trust fights 1,500-home plan
- 1,500 homes north of Sevenoaks: what the brief promises
- Brittains Lane 284 homes: now for the Local Plan inspector
- Local Plan consultation opens on 23 July: how to have your say on 17,460 homes
- Bradbourne Lakes closed until summer 2027: what happens first
- Otford demands 1,500-home site cut from Sevenoaks Local Plan
- Sevenoaks house prices July 2026: down £7,387 to £538,714
- Ide Hill dog theft: both stolen spaniels are back home
- Broke Hill golf course: 660 homes refused, officers overruled
- Sevenoaks unemployment claims hit 1,675, a four-year high
- HMRC petition against Halstead firm: no winding-up order yet
- Sevenoaks High Street crash: police appeal after teen hurt
- Swanley's Cherry Avenue playground reopens after £100k refit
- Childsbridge Lane, Kemsing: 7 Green Belt homes granted
- Sevenoaks Shared Prosperity Fund: £2m ends, no successor
- Fort Halstead: Barratt asks to ease monument consent step
- Sevenoaks nursery Ofsted: strong marks for two new settings
- Hastings line shut 24 Oct to 1 Nov: buses over half term
- Sevenoaks wheelie bin roadshows: dates before 12 October
- Sevenoaks station: no step-free route to London until 1 December
- Sevenoaks Local Plan: 2,175 Responses, Now to the Inspector
- Sevenoaks District Council's abolition is paused, and the May 2027 election is back on
- South Darenth Traveller site: two-pitch plan on Horton Road
- Sevenoaks stolen car returned: Fiat 500 traced to Dartford
- JetMS Completions owed £6.15m, has £64,296 to pay it
- Kemsing fire: eight engines sent as Collet Road blaze spread
- The Stag: £100,000 pledge appeal opens, closes 1 October
- Sevenoaks food hygiene: full July list shows a 1 and a 2
- Sevenoaks new businesses: 74 firms registered in August
- Sevenoaks community grants: £5,000 open now, close 6 October
- Charing Cross reopened 17 August: claim refunds by 30 Sep
- The Stag: town council drops legal action, may pay £650,000
- Sevenoaks households get wheelie bins from October as recycling service is overhauled
- The Stag Sevenoaks: officers back £650,000 transfer
- The Stag's future: council offers town a £650,000 buyout or a 30-year lease
August 2026
- Swanley home closed for three months after court order
- Sevenoaks bank holiday bins: nothing on Monday 31 August
- Sevenoaks trains: both lines closed on Sunday 6 September
- Days out near Sevenoaks: Hever up £3.15 on 2 September
- Westerham barn fire: five engines sent to Chestnut Avenue
- Sevenoaks green recycling bags: £300k spent, £225k saved
- Waypoint Aerotec owes £486,584, has £11,443 to pay it
- Sevenoaks GCSE results 2026: 42 grade 9s at Trinity
- Great Comp Garden art exhibition: 29 to 31 August, £10.50
- Number Eight Sevenoaks: Café Royal chef cooks 23 September
- JETMS Completions liquidation: Biggin Hill firms wound up
- Sevenoaks house prices June 2026: down £6,025 to £543,081
- Sevenoaks unemployment claims hit 1,665, a 2022 high
- Halstead Nursery graded strong in all six Ofsted areas
- Sevenoaks children can design a real Christmas light
- Sevenoaks School boarding house: listed consent granted
- Knockholt fostering agency All4u rated Good by Ofsted
- The View School Edenbridge: strong in three Ofsted areas
- Sevenoaks A level results 2026: Trinity's best ever again
- Oaks Day Nursery Swanley: strong in two Ofsted areas
- Sevenoaks house prices up £20,952 in a year to £553,752
- Chipstead Lane yellow lines: object or support by 31 August
- M25 lorry fire shut motorway near Westerham from 5.15pm
- Biggin Hill aircraft firm JetMS heads into liquidation
- Sevenoaks bins from 6am, Monday 10 to Friday 14 August
- Sevenoaks planning applications: 43 lodged to 7 August
- Otford by-election: green belt slate sweeps all three seats
- Ming Foods Swanley placed in administration on 24 June
- Sevenoaks food hygiene: all 25 July inspections scored 5
- Fleur De Lis Leigh: premises licence bid filed on 27 July
- Lady Boswell's Sevenoaks: strong in all seven Ofsted areas
- Ashgrove Road Sevenoaks: farm access refusal now on appeal
- Out-of-work benefit claims in Sevenoaks district hit their highest level since January 2022
- Edenbridge wildfire: 10 fire engines to Hever Road
- Riverhead puts the A25 zebra crossing first and is holding back its reserves to pay for it
July 2026
- Homes plan for car park behind Otford High Street leads week's planning list
- Sevenoaks bin crews back on 6am starts as heatwave returns for the last week of July
- A 20m phone mast for Westerham among 38 planning applications lodged this week
- Councillors approve the £40m Land East loan after a bid for more oversight is defeated
- Sevenoaks disabled facilities grants: 55-day target agreed
- Sevenoaks EV charging: 11 of 26 wards have none
- Sevenoaks committee defies officers on Underriver stables
- Councillors decide tonight on the £40m loan for the Land East regeneration
- Sevenoaks bin crews start at 6am until 17 July as heat alert bites
- Cabinet approves final Local Plan consultation: how to have your say from 23 July
- Work starts on 60 homes at the old White Oak Leisure Centre site in Swanley
- Sevenoaks council to consult on new homelessness strategy as housing register reaches 1,142
- Green belt homes at Badgers Mount head to Sevenoaks planning committee on 9 July
June 2026
- Edenbridge 135-home green belt scheme granted by Sevenoaks committee
- Spitals Cross Edenbridge: £10.3m rebuild, 23 new homes
- Sevenoaks Local Plan: 17,460 homes, 810 at Broke Hill
- Sevenoaks bin collections start an hour earlier during the heatwave
- Sevenoaks planning committee, 18 June: 3 of 4 granted
- Sevenoaks names its 2026 community heroes at Making it Happen awards
- Council backs more than £2m of works at Edenbridge Leisure Centre
- Cabinet appoints Wates to deliver new Sevenoaks leisure centre and town-centre scheme
- Ash Church End: nine homes back before councillors
- Land East Sevenoaks: Wates picked, £40m loan on table
- Farningham Traveller site: backed after 2023 refusal
- Edenbridge 135 homes: officers back plan, 151 objections
- Bessels Green A25 crossing ruled out: 16 users a day
- Sevenoaks planning applications: 30 lodged in a week
- Councillors refuse 235-acre New Ash Green solar farm despite £400,000 appeal warning
- Sevenoaks recycling hits record high as food waste rounds collect 220 tonnes in a month