A former pie factory in a Kent town centre is set to be demolished for housing - with developers facing a bill of almost £1.9 million to clean up the site.

The former WA Turner Ltd plant in Tunbridge Wells shut in 2020 after 50 years of producing pies, sausages and other foods.

Situated near a BT engineering site, a Sainsbury’s car park and the Showfields estate, the factory is now set to become 94 homes and a community hub.

Developers Urban Life TBW Ltd put in their bid to turn the site into homes in January 2022.

Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) planning officers were recommending ahead of the meeting that members back the proposals.

At a meeting at Tunbridge Wells Town Hall on Wednesday (September 13), a planning officer told members: “The building has become something of an anomaly in its setting now, there was a lot more industrial development round here in the past but it’s been slowly replaced by housing.”

He explained the factory had been in use since shortly after the Second World War, and was gradually extended over time.

“The application has been through viability assessments but unfortunately it is another site where we are unable to deliver policy compliant affordable housing,” he added.

TWBC planning rules say developments on brownfield site should provide 30% affordable housing, however this development provides only 10% - six one-bedroom apartments for social rent and four three-bed homes for shared ownership.

A statement read on behalf of the developers in the meeting argued: “The Turner factory site has long been recognised as an opportunity site for redevelopment.

“The proposed development is fully in line with both national and local planning policy to redevelop previously developed land in sustainable locations to provide more homes so that families can meet their aspirations.”

They continued that the bid “comes at a time when the borough has significant housing need and will bring with it social and economic benefits, including significant financial contributions.

“Together with the redevelopment of Showfields the proposed development will make a significant contribution towards the achievement of a successful residential neighbourhood in Tunbridge Wells.”

In March 2023 approval was given for much of the nearby Showfields estate to be knocked down and redeveloped.

However, Cllr David Osborne (Lib Dem) raised concerns about the lack of affordable housing at the former industrial site, arguing that the developer should provide more and questioning the viability surveys.

“I can’t believe that we’re being asked in this committee to rely on data that was produced over two years ago to support the fact that we’re abandoning our housing policy of having 30% [affordable housing],” he said.

He also said that “I feel generally we’re not sufficiently tough with developers in terms of making sure that the policy of affordable housing is enforced.”

However, an officer retorted that due to possible contamination, the developers are facing a cleanup bill of “almost £1.9 million,” which reduces the viability of affordable housing.

The officer also defended the council on affordable housing, pointing out that the developers initially didn’t plan to provide any, but council officers and consultants eventually successfully convinced them to provide 10 units.

The site is set to host 58 apartments and 36 houses. Not all councillors slated the plans, however.

“I think it’s a very good proposal,” said Cllr Victoria White (Con).

“It would be nice to have more social housing but I understand the brownfield argument,” she added.

Chairman of the committee Cllr Godfrey Bland (Con) said: “I do think it’s a crying shame that we only get 10 houses out of this pretty large development.”

He argued the lack of affordable housing shows something “terribly wrong with the system.”

“What do we do if we turn it down? Do we think suddenly there are going to be 30 houses produced magically from somewhere?,” he quipped.

TWBC’s planning committee voted to approve the scheme with six votes in favour, one against, and one abstention.