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There are plans to build 125 homes on a 40 acres' slice of Green Belt countryside in Tunbridge Wells.

The new estate is proposed for farmland to the west of the A26 Eridge Road, at Spratsbrook Farm, which stretches right up to the back gardens of homes in Ramslye Road.

Dandara South East Ltd has submitted an Environmental Impact Assessment screening opinion request.

This asks Tunbridge Wells Borough Council if the developer needs to submit an assessment with its planning application.

The land sits between Friezland Wood, Ramslye Wood and Three Acre Woods. The site's boundary overlaps with the High Rocks Hill Fort, a scheduled ancient monument dating from the Iron Age, which is also a 'site of special scientific interest'.

And part of the site is in the High Weald National Landscape, and the National Landscape. There are three tree preservation orders along Eridge Road. The farmland reaches the edge of the long-established estate popular with families, called Ramslye.

As KentLive previously reported, Spratsbrook Farm had been earmarked for 270 homes and a seven-form secondary school. It sparked a petition by residents and a groundswell of opposition. In the emerging draft Local Plan, it is allocated for 120 homes.

Dandara says in its 23-page report by consultants DHA: "The site is currently located within the Green Belt. However, the eastern part of the site is proposed to be released from the Green Belt upon adoption of the emerging Tunbridge Wells Local Plan, anticipated towards the end of 2025."

DHA shared traffic count figures during the morning and evening on the A26 Eridge Road, and predicted the new homes would generate around five per cent more vehicle trips during the "AM and PM peak periods".

And on flooding, it said: "The Environment Agency online flood-mapping tool shows the site to be in flood zone 1 (at low risk from flooding).

Additionally, whilst areas surrounding the site are subject to a small amount of surface water flooding, the site itself does not appear to be affected by this."

It also said: "A full ecological appraisal of the site including protected species surveys is currently underway and the presence or absence of protected species within the site is yet to be confirmed."

In April 2025, KentLive reported how nearly 15 acres at Spratsbrook Farm was losing its Green Belt status in the emerging Local Plan. Across the borough, 536 acres of Green Belt at 11 sites were due to lose this status, by the borough council, to make away for development.

We reported in 2017 how 176 acres of then Green Belt farmland at Spratsbrook Farm was put forward in a call for sites by the council for its Local Plan.

Dandara had been promoting the large site at the farm, which is behind Ramslye Road, to the Tunbridge Wells council and also Wealden District Council.

And KentLive reported in 2019 that the main urban area of Tunbridge Wells was due to see 1,271 new homes built on 17 sites, one of which was Spratsbrook Farm.

The council said at the time: "This site was allocated for residential development providing approximately 270 dwellings and a seven-form entry secondary school. A significant number of comments were received in relation to this site as well as a petition.

"Following the public consultation at the end of 2019, which included representations on this site, the council commissioned a number of updated evidence base studies considering a number of issues, including landscape, heritage impact, green belt etc as well as further liaison with key stakeholders including Kent County Council education."

"In considering the findings of these studies and updates, as well as the comments made as part of the public consultation, a number of revisions and amendments have been made to the latest version of the Local Plan which is currently being considered by the council."

"This site at Spratsbrook Farm is one such site that has been amended with the removal of the secondary school from the allocation and a reduction in the number of residential dwellings proposed.

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125 homes planned for slice of Green Belt land in Kent countryside