Seventy-five green belt sites are to be looked at as potential plots for housing development.

It follows criticism of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's allocation of a Garden Village at Tudeley in its submitted Local Plan.

Government planning inspector Matthew Birkinshaw set out his initial findings on the plan in November, when he was critical of the way the council had developed its proposal for the 2,800-home garden village.

The inspector said the council had not adequately assessed other areas where development might cause less harm.

He said: "Further work is therefore necessary before a conclusion can be reached that exceptional circumstances exist to release the relevant site allocations from the green belt."

He also questioned why no new railway station had been proposed to support the development.

Mr Birkenshaw said the council had also proved insufficient detail on how it expected to deliver the many individual parcels of land required for the 3,500 new homes proposed around Paddock Wood.

Carlos Hone was appointed head of planning at Tunbridge Wells council in July 2022.

He has written to the inspector promising: "Each of the matters raised is being taken into consideration. Where further work is necessary to enable the council to come to a decision on the most appropriate way forward, this is being done. "

He said the council would look at some 70 to 75 alternative development sites in the green belt to assess the potential harm of building there and to supply a comparison with the selected sites at Tudeley and Paddock Wood.

In relation to Tudeley, Mr Hone said the council had "of course" pursued the possibility of a railway station with Network Rail, but had been advised by them that it was unwarranted.

However, the council would attempt to "re-engage" with Network Rail on the issue.

He said in the meantime the council was in discussion with bus operators about the provision of an improved service.

The inspector had challenged whether there was sufficient confidence that a new Five Oak Green Bypass could be built in an environmentally acceptable manner.

Mr Hone said the council would engage consultants to look at the issues on design, land-take, relative land levels, likely traffic volumes, necessary structures and earthworks, and lighting.

He conceded that: "In any event, further consideration of the impact of the proposed bypass on the setting of the High Weald AONB would be needed."

Mr Hone agreed there were a number of risks to the deliverability of the bypass and suggested it might be given "a more conservative timescale" which would also mean a lower initial housing completion rate.

With regard to the housing provision around Paddock Wood, Mr Hone said he had asked the council's masterplanning consultants to present proposals to revisit the options, but that would take some time.

Mr Hone said the council would also look again at policies regarding Hawkenbury Recreation Ground, the proposed luxury hotel at Mabledon House in Southborough and at site allocations in Benenden.

He said: "It is clearly not possible at present to put a time-frame on determining the most appropriate approach.

"However, the council remains committed to have an adopted Local Plan in place as soon as practicable and we are working towards this end."