Chilmington Green developer Hodson enters administration leaving future of 6,000-home estate in Ashford and A28 Chart Road dualling project in doubt.

A developer involved in one of Kent’s largest housing developments has filed for bankruptcy, raising concerns about critical infrastructure.

Hodson Developments (Ashford) Ltd and four subsidiary firms have been placed into administration, just months after failing to avoid more than £50 million in agreed-upon contributions.

The business is the primary developer for the 5,750-home Chilmington Green “garden town” on the outskirts of Ashford, which was authorised in 2014.

However, the failure has raised serious concerns about the future of major infrastructure linked to the initiative, including the £30 million A28 dualling project.

Three proposed primary schools and a variety of community facilities are also unclear.

So far, over 400 residences have been developed, in addition to a primary and secondary school.

Traffic jam at the roundabout as a lorry loses its load and crashes.

The administration comes two months after Hodson lost a long-running petition to withdraw from its section 106 duties, which were first agreed upon in 2017.

A representative for Ashford Borough Council said that they are now examining the impact.

“Along with Kent County Council, we are taking legal advice on any impact this may have on the developers’ obligations under the section 106 agreement with both councils, and on the ongoing legal action relating to those commitments,” they informed us.

“In January, the planning inspector dismissed Hodson’s appeal, which sought over 100 changes to its section 106 agreement after a lengthy public inquiry last year.”

“The inspector endorsed the council’s position on practically every issue, including the critical point that the developers’obligations to improve the A28 should not be lifted.

“We will continue to do all we can, alongside Kent County Council, to ensure these obligations are delivered, subject to the effects of the administration.”

The council clarified that the matter did not affect other Chilmington Green developers, including Hodson Developments (CG THREE) Ltd, BDW, and Jarvis Homes.

Hodson had attempted to discharge or postpone 122 responsibilities relating to education, affordable housing, social care, and community amenities, and its case was evaluated during a nine-day public inquiry held between February and May of last year.

In a ruling issued on January 20, 106 of the requests were denied, with an additional 11 withdrawn.

That ruling meant the A28 upgrade – to dual Chart Road between the Matalan and “Tank” roundabouts – would have to proceed, with KCC previously describing it as an “integral part” of the development.

Ashford MP Sojan Joseph told KentOnline that the developer must still deliver its pledges.

“I will continue to support residents and work with local authorities to ensure that developers fulfil their responsibilities and provide adequate infrastructure,” stated the member of the Labour Party.

“These tactics, deployed by Hodson, in order to stall the necessary improvements, are completely unacceptable and I will, of course, be following this situation closely and assisting the community in any way I can.”

Weald Central’s Cllr Jessamy Blanford stated that the ambiguity will be concerning for locals.

“I’m sad about it all because it’s very hard on everyone who has bought a home,” the Conservative remarked.

 

 

 

“They won’t know what the future holds or whether they’ll get things like shops and medical facilities that were promised. We don’t know if they will appear now.

“I’m not sure why they chose this moment.

“The next step could be to have another developer take over. They may submit an offer, I guess.”

KentOnline has asked Hodson for comment on the administration’s plans for construction, infrastructure delivery, and future residents.

Previously, the business claimed that the scope of its section 106 commitments had impacted the project’s “delivery and viability,” citing planning delays, utility concerns, modifications to its development model, nutritional neutrality restrictions, and the Covid-19 epidemic.

However, the planning inspector determined that financial viability was not a deciding factor in whether the requirements should be decreased.

According to the legal agreement, Hodson was expected to fund the A28 repairs once 400 residences were occupied, a threshold that was approaching when the probe began.

The maximum contribution for the road system alone was set at £32.7 million, which includes construction, design, and contingency expenses.

Overall, the developer asked for relief from about £50 million in responsibilities, including paying for schools, social care, and community programming, and even proposed closing a fourth primary school entirely.

Following the loss of the appeal on January 20, a spokeswoman for Hodson told KentOnline that the company was “surprised and disappointed” by the ruling, adding: “We will now spend some time reviewing the decision with our planning advisors and considering our options.”

Chilmington Green was initially supposed to be a 20-year project, with 250 to 300 residences completed each year.

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