Maidstone Borough Council is urging residents to submit their views on a county-wide minerals plan that could see hard-rock quarrying at Oaken Wood, with the consultation deadline falling at 11.59pm on Monday 5 October 2026.

Residents in Maidstone have less than a week to respond to Kent County Council’s draft Mineral Sites Plan — a document that identifies where future quarrying could take place across the county. The draft proposes allocating Oaken Wood, near Maidstone, for hard-rock extraction. Maidstone Borough Council has already submitted its own response raising concerns about the impact on ancient woodland, and is now pushing residents to do the same.

Kent County Council extended the consultation, which opened on 30 July, to give people more time to make their representations. It now closes at 11.59pm on Monday 5 October.

What is being proposed

The site at Oaken Wood includes what planners call a “plantation on ancient woodland site” — land where ancient woodland was cleared for commercial forestry but which still retains the rare soils and ecological history of the original wood. Under national planning policy, it is treated as ancient woodland, an irreplaceable habitat. Kent Wildlife Trust says the proposal would result in the direct loss of at least 41 hectares of ancient woodland. To put that in perspective, 41 hectares is roughly 57 football pitches.

What Kent County Council says

Kent County Council argues the plan addresses a genuine need. Hard rock — used in road building and construction — is a finite local resource, and local extraction reduces reliance on materials brought in from elsewhere. The draft plan includes requirements for mitigation, restoration and habitat creation. Any eventual planning application would also face a separate, detailed environmental assessment.

The plan is currently at what’s known as “Regulation 19 stage” — the formal pre-submission consultation where the public is asked whether the draft is legally sound before it goes to an independent Planning Inspector for examination. This consultation is not itself a decision to grant planning permission.

The concerns

But ancient woodland cannot simply be replaced. National planning policy is clear that development leading to the loss of irreplaceable habitats should be refused unless wholly exceptional reasons exist alongside a suitable compensation strategy. Maidstone Borough Council’s response reflects that position, questioning whether the draft plan adequately addresses those tests.

Kent Wildlife Trust has raised concerns beyond woodland loss — including effects on wildlife, landscape change, quarry traffic, noise, dust and long-term restoration risks.

What this consultation actually decides

It’s worth being clear about what residents are being asked. This consultation is about whether the draft plan is legally compliant and sound — not a simple show of hands for or against quarrying. Comments that only express support or opposition without giving planning reasons carry less weight in the formal process. If the plan is eventually adopted and a developer submits a planning application, that application would trigger a separate round of public scrutiny.

The final call on whether the plan is sound will rest with a Planning Inspector appointed independently of both councils.

Key information

  • Consultation closes: 11.59pm, Monday 5 October 2026 (extended)
  • Respond online: via Kent County Council’s consultation page
  • Respond by email: mwlp@kent.gov.uk
  • Respond by post: Minerals and Waste Planning Policy Team, Planning Applications Group, Sessions House, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 1XQ
  • Hard copies of the consultation documents can be inspected at Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
  • Comments should address whether the draft plan is legally compliant and sound, with supporting reasons

The Planning Inspectorate will then examine the plan independently before any final decision is made.