Not enough jobs will be created by most councils across Kent to cover the amount of homes set to be built over the next 15 years, according to research by Kent Business.

Of the 13 district councils in the county, only Gravesham and Dartford plan to create more work than new houses.

The shortfall in the number of jobs ranges from a few hundred to 7,000, assuming only one person works in each home, which is likely to be an underestimate.

The proposals have been set out in each authority’s local plan, which sets out the area’s targets for housing and jobs growth up to 2031.

The council documents are in varying stages of completion and many have caused controversy over the number of new homes suggested.

However, authorities could find themselves awash with unemployed residents or become commuter towns as the population travels to London for work.

The largest shortfall is in Canterbury, where only 6,500 jobs will be created by 2031, compared with 16,000 homes, a shortfall of 9,500 vacancies.

By contrast, Dartford could have a surplus of 9,200 jobs.

Overall, Kent will be left with 33,816 fewer jobs than homes under each authority’s local plan.

Last year, Maidstone council, which has a shortfall of 4,160 roles, denied planning approval to Gallagher Group to build near Junction 8 of the M20. The development would have supported more than 1,000 jobs.

Nick Yandle, chief executive of the construction firm, said: “The whole employment agenda appears to be totally secondary. It is not on people’s radar.

“The public don’t seem to worry because they don’t think about it, and the politicians just follow what public opinion focuses on.

“Even with the planned allocations in the local plan, an extra 4,000 people will have to go outside Maidstone borough for work.

“The whole employment agenda appears to be totally secondary. It is not on people’s radar..." - Nick Yandle, Gallagher Group

“Not everyone wants to go to London. For some people it is unsustainable, so they will sit at home unemployed.

“It all sounds bonkers.

“The attitude about employment is that something will come along.”

Thanet will also have one of Kent’s largest shortfalls, with 7,000 fewer jobs than houses built by 2031.

Council spokesperson Katie MacKinnon said: “Housing numbers relate in part to job numbers, but more importantly to the formation of new households caused by a range of factors: new families being established; divorce/separation; people retiring who already live in the area; people retiring to the area from other parts of the country; and people living longer.

“Many of these factors do not affect, or are not affected by, job numbers.

“So, the way that housing numbers are generated is to assess the impacts of these factors first, and this is largely undertaken by the Office for National Statistics and the Department for Communities & Local Government.”