Now is the time to voice your opinion on where housing and business development should take place across Tonbridge and Malling.

The borough council has opened a six-week public consultation on the latest iteration of its Local Plan, which will shape building in the district until 2040.

This initial proposals list includes building on numerous car parks across the borough, as well as various green open spaces. They include West Malling's two car parks, the Tonbridge Police Station car park, East Malling village green and the Tonbridge Sports Ground.

Council leader Cllr Matt Boughton said: "We know residents care passionately about how and where development takes place and about safeguarding our beautiful countryside, much of which is Green Belt.

"This first phase of creating a Local Plan is a great opportunity for everyone to get involved and help shape how our borough evolves.

"While we are continuing to make the case to Government that our housing target of 16,000 homes should be lower, we can’t ignore the real housing supply shortage in our borough which pushes up prices and makes owning a property unaffordable for many."

He said: "Getting the balance right will mean we can boost the supply of housing in a sustainable way."

Cllr Boughton said: "This demands that development goes hand-in-hand with a range of improvements from reducing traffic and providing better public transport options to improving access to GPs and schools while also increasing biodiversity.

"Getting the plan in place will also give us much greater control over where homes are built and a stronger basis on which to refuse development which doesn’t meet the high standards our borough deserves."

The borough is currently without a Local Plan, as its previous attempt to adopt one was refused by a Government planning inspector last November, who said the borough had not consulted sufficiently with neighbouring authorities.

The council is having to fins room for 16,000 new homes over the plan period.

There are 290 suggested sites in the consultation document. They will be reviewed in the light of the responses to the consultation and whittled down.

You can visit the consultation here.

The plan proposes a ‘brownfield first’ approach, prioritising areas of existing development. The consultation report also stresses the need for infrastructure, such as schools, GP services and transport links, to be provided to serve new communities.

The council has set a target that around one-third of new properties should be affordable homes.