MP concerned by "Housing Crisis"

Objectors to plans for 500 new homes on green fields to the south of Tunbridge Wells say they're disappointed by the "neutral" stance on the issue taken by local Liberal Democrats.

The development scheme would involve moving the Tunbridge Wells Rugby Club a mile down the road into Sussex.

A petition opposing the scheme has been signed by 4,000 people.

On the Friday drivetime programme on West Kent Radio on September 5th 2025, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tunbridge Wells, Mike Martin, was asked about the scheme.  Listen here to his answers in full:

When asked directly if he supported or opposed the scheme, Mike Martin said:  

"You should see my inbox. I get equal numbers of emails from people saying 'I can't get on the housing ladder. I'm finding it difficult to rent.' as are people saying well we shouldn't have these houses built here." 

All of the houses will be built in Sussex and pay council tax to Wealden District Council - even though the development will effectively be an extension of Tunbridge Wells town.

But Daniel Dzenkowski of the Green Weald Alliance which is opposing the house building by Esquire Developments told West Kent Radio that he thought the Liberal Democrat MP and local Liberal Democrat councillors should provide clarity on whether they wanted the development.

Daniel Dzenkowski said the petition demonstrated "overwhelming opposition" to the scheme and residents now deserved clarity on whether they were: "With the community or with the developers." 

Dan continued: "The real question isn't pro-homes or anti-homes, it is whether luxury executive estates - unaffordable to locals -  should be carved into a protected landscape."

Listen to Dan Dzenkowski's full response here:

Mike Martin said that there was a "housing crisis" in the country and continued: "My job as an MP is not to say yes or no to housing developments...it is nothing to do with the MP.  It is a local authority competency".

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The plans for around 400 homes built by Esquire are in addition to other schemes also under consideration which take the total new housing to around 500 homes (see below):

Mike Martin insisted: "My job is to make sure that if housing developments do go ahead...then to make sure as much of the infrastructure is in place as possible, and to make sure that we have got the sewage network, we have got the road network and we have got the schools."  

Daniel Dzenkowski of the Green Weald Alliance said numbers of the "acrobatic" spotted flycatcher bird were down by 90% in Kent as a whole but the spotted flycatcher was still living on the land in question. He said: "We lose the habitat, we lose the birds too."

Esquire Developments says the Tunbridge Wells Rugby club would gain greatly enhanced facilities with the scheme and be provided with a new club house, a 3g pitch, 2 cricket pitches, 5 padel tennis courts and a cricket pavillion.

Around 4,000 people have already signed an objection page on the internet. Updates on petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/stop-the-esquire-development-protect-tunbridge-wells-and-wealden-s-green-spaces

In a statement in July, Esquire said it was committed to bringing forward a high quality development that will deliver much needed homes.  

Esquire's statement continued that it was "proposing the potential for a GP Surgery - again - further enhancing the community benefits the scheme is bringing and directly responding to comments made by local residents."

You can read about the petition opposing the development and the involvement of public funds in promoting the development on our earlier story:
https://www.westkentradio.co.uk/news/west-kent-news/petition-hits-2000/

To read further background on this story, read this article from 25th July, 2025
https://www.westkentradio.co.uk/news/west-kent-news/new-twist-in-housing-battle