A council has denied selling land to rugby giants Wasps to build a new stadium after claims it had “privately changed its position”.

Last week, the club announced they had secured a 10-year option

on land in Swanley for a 28,000-seat venue.

The former top-flight side – who went into administration in 2022 and were relegated from the division as a result – are looking to relocate to Kent from the Midlands.

However, the club has not yet confirmed exactly where the land is.

Crockenhill Parish Council says it has been contacted by several concerned residents since the announcement.

However, it says it has been “unable to answer many of these questions with any certainty”.

Previously, Wasps had asked Sevenoaks council to include an allocation for a 28,000-seat stadium at one of two locations near Swanley, either Pedham Place Golf Club or nearby Petham Court Farm.

The first location is also in the sights of housing developers, Gladman and Ramac, who want to build a 2,500-home garden village there.

The second location is agricultural land.

There had been considerable protest from residents, particularly in Farningham and Eynsford, against the proposals – mainly on traffic grounds.

However, some did welcome the plans – which were subject to consultation – as a chance to bring more sporting opportunities and jobs to the area.

In a statement, the parish council said: “We can only assume the location of the land in question is within the parish of Crockenhill as this was one of the two potential sites put forward by Wasps as part of Sevenoaks District Council’s new Local Plan consultation.

“We have spoken with several Crockenhill landowners north of the parish for clarification and have been assured that they have no plans to sell their Grade 2/3 agricultural land or smallholdings.

“However, we do know that Swanley Town Council owns a section of land within the parish – an area around Petham Farm.”

Swanley Town Council held a meeting on Wednesday, October 30 with “Petham Farm agreement” being the only item on the agenda.

The parish council has criticised this as the public was excluded from the meeting. However, the town council says it has been meeting with stakeholders.

It has encouraged people to respond to the next stage of Sevenoaks council’s Local Plan consultation.

However, the parish council said: “It would appear that Swanley Town Council has, at some point during this year, privately changed its position despite overwhelming public objection locally.”

It added that the town council objected to the stadium earlier this year in its response to Sevenoaks council’s Local Plan consultation.

However, the town council says it remains neutral on the development, adding: “We objected to the first public consultation of the Local Plan which was when the idea of a stadium was first mentioned, and no details of investment in road or other infrastructure was included.”

Crockenhill Parish Council added: “It came as a surprise to us when Crockenhill Parish land was originally earmarked as a potential site within the consultation.

“[We] feel that they, and the public, have been deliberately kept in the dark throughout the whole process.

“We can only assume that plans, meetings, and agreements have been conducted entirely behind closed doors, without transparency, and against our wishes.

“We are appalled that Swanley Town Council, a neighbouring council, believe it appropriate to conduct themselves in this way.”

It has submitted an FOI request to the town council.

Speaking about the Wasp’s announcement, Sevenoaks council member and chairwoman of Crockenhill Parish Council, Cllr Rachel Waterton, said: “We have been blindsided.

“Whilst other local councils, groups, and residents are working together to protect the green belt from inappropriate development, we believe Swanley Town Council is working against us.

“With so many other large sporting facilities close by, a sports stadium on agricultural land within a rural location, near an already overstretched road network, often gridlocked, is not the development that the local area either wants or needs.

“This development is going to hinder considerably more residents north of the district than it will benefit.”

A Swanley Town Council spokesperson said: “We want to reassure people that Swanley Town Council has not sold any land to any third party, and the council remain owners of the Petham Farm site.

“Whilst the council is open to the land being used to facilitate a planning application, the council’s position on the scheme remains unchanged.

“We want to see Wasps present, through a planning application, what the proposed improvements in road, rail and other infrastructure will be before we make our decision whether to oppose or support the scheme through the planning process.

“The proposal has the potential to significantly regenerate the town, bringing a significant number of jobs, apprenticeships, boost to local businesses, and additional investment.”

They added that Swanley suffers from higher unemployment rates than neighbouring areas, including youth unemployment.

The spokesperson added: “Residents also often highlight their frustrations with the privately owned town centre, and that there is not a greater range of shops to suit everyone’s needs or expectations.

“The only way to achieve that is through regeneration, and it is one of many considerations about the benefits and disbenefits of the scheme.”

The first stage of any development is to persuade Sevenoaks council to allocate the sites for development in its next Local Plan Review.

The town council explained: “We have been meeting with stakeholders and would recommend people respond to the next stage of Sevenoaks District Council’s Local Plan consultation to make their views known and have their say, as the matter is ultimately for the planning process.

“It is difficult for the council to make an informed conclusion on the proposal without all the evidence coming forward first.

“However, allowing a planning application to come forward on the land to consider all the benefits and disbenefits, is very different to wholeheartedly supporting the application, and we will make our judgement once all the facts are presented.”