The wheels of progress are preparing to spin into life as a hugely ambitious proposal to transform Swanley over the next two decades begins to take shape.

One year on from first presenting its master vision for the town to residents, Sevenoaks District Council is taking on the public’s feedback and refining plans which it hopes will help Swanley fulfil its potential.

For council leader Cllr Peter Fleming, fulfilling the town’s potential is indeed the main driver behind the project, despite many being understandably hesitant about widespread change to the place they call home.

The centrepiece of the 20-year regeneration project is a 3,000-home garden village that has been opposed by 2,000 campaigners who signed a petition in a bid to stop it from coming to fruition.

However, the council is confident that the majority of local people are excited by most of the plans, with 63% of 1,838 consultation respondents supporting the idea.

Cllr Fleming said: “The village can provide some of the infrastructure funding that’s desperately needed.

“There is fear and opposition to it, but this is the scale of development needed to bring in the infrastructure that people are calling for.

“Any time you talk about building on greenfield land it raises issues, but I think we’ve been as open as we can that there are big infrastructure issues in Swanley and the only way to bring in improvements people want is to have more development.

“The garden village would have its own school and GP. There would be enough people in the village to have an infrastructure almost of its own, and it could support other investments that people in Swanley are looking for.”

Among the investments that did receive plenty of backing are for extra stores and restaurants in the town centre, with more than 80% of people who took part in the council’s questionnaire in favour of more places to eat and shop.

Swanley town centre features a mix of independent traders and well-known brands, dominated by a huge Asda supermarket, plus a weekly market.

The council believes all would benefit from the increased footfall new restaurants and shops would bring.

“There is a real appetite for that and we need to put things in place to attract these businesses,” said Cllr Fleming.

“People from all over the South East come to Swanley for Swanley market and Swanley Park. It’s an amazing place and we have to make sure it’s preserved.”

Cllr Fleming is confident that additions like new restaurants would also help boost the town’s night-time economy, which he believes is lacking compared to other towns in Kent, including Sevenoaks.

"This isn’t about destroying Swanley, it’s about protecting and enhancing it" Cllr Peter Fleming

As well as improvements to high street trade, people were happy to hear about the possibility of a new health centre, which would provide new space for the town’s GPs, who Cllr Fleming admits are working at their limit.

Key to the master vision’s success is improving transport links, with the council keen to take greater advantage of its strategic location.

Cllr Fleming continued: “It is a fantastic town, incredibly well connected right on an M25 junction, which is an incredible benefit.

“Swanley is 28 minutes from London Victoria by train, so there are huge positives and opportunities for people. We brought in Oyster cards, which has had a positive effect for people who commute to London.

“Frankly it’s something that Swanley hasn’t made the most of in the past. This isn’t about destroying Swanley, it’s about protecting and enhancing it.”

The vision includes plans to relocate the railway station, bringing it closer to the town centre and replacing the old site with new green space just off the recreation ground.

In addition, the garden village would sport its own station halt, allowing residents easy access to the town centre and beyond without needing to drive anywhere first.

The commitment to improve public transport links will only go so far, with plenty of locals concerned about the amount of traffic already on the roads.

Cllr Fleming is hoping a new Lower Thames Crossing east of Gravesend will alleviate some of the congestion, with many motorists making their way through Swanley to avoid problems in and around Dartford.

Any new river crossing is likely to be at least 10 years away, and Cllr Fleming is keen to stress that Swanley’s transformation won’t be an overnight job either.

Emphasising that the project is “a 20-year vision”, he said the council had been especially keen to gather the views of the town’s younger residents.

“Over-55s made up more than 50% of the responses to the survey and that doesn’t reflect the population that lives in Swanley,” he said.

“If you’re looking at a 20-year plan, it’s going to be their [the younger people] town.

“We spoke to just over 100 14 to 16-year-olds and they only made up about 6% of the responses to the survey.

“They were really positive and want to stay there and live there in the future.”

Sevenoaks council hosted a planning advisory meeting last Wednesday, where they discussed the feedback received with a view to rejigging the plans and once again putting them before the public at a later date.

The revised vision would then need approval at a public inquiry, which would likely not happen until 2019.

Residents can find out more at sevenoaks.gov.uk/swanley&hextable.