Plans have been unveiled for a “much needed” housing estate where a leisure centre once stood — with funds generated from it propping up the cost of its controversial replacement.

Sevenoaks council’s plans for the former White Oak Leisure Centre site in Swanley would be a “risk” for any private developer according to documents submitted to the authority.

But because the local authority is not seeking to turn a profit, it insists the 60-home scheme proceed as planned.

Bond Bryan submitted the plans earlier this year for housing on land at Hilda May Avenue.

The brownfield site once hosted the town’s former White Oak Leisure Centre, but it was demolished in 2021 to make way for its £20m replacement, which opened in February 2022 next to the previous site.

The planning application states: “Sevenoaks council are using this development as a means of funding the new White Oak Leisure Centre.”

The architects continue: “This site presents a unique opportunity to create a high quality residential development that seamlessly integrates into the newly developed White Oak Leisure Centre site, completed in 2021 on a brownfield site of a former car park.

“This edge of town site offers a great opportunity to create more connectivity and a viable residential scheme.”

Under the plans, the area will host a block of 45 apartments and 15 townhouses.

72 car parking spaces for the whole estate are also proposed.

“The site sits back from Hilda May Avenue on the edge of town in a predominately residential area,” planning documents explain.

The site is currently surrounded by hoarding and consists mainly of crushed concrete, tarmac and paving

Proposals for housing on the site have been in the works for years, with the architects holding a formal pre-application meeting with the council in August 2023.

Of the apartments, 17 of them will be one-bedroom, and 28 will be two-bedroom, and all of the townhouses are three-bedroom with their own private gardens.

No affordable homes are proposed on the estate, and a financial viability assessment document paints a grim picture.

The financial document says that the project for a 60 home estate would result in a gross development value of less than £3,000,000.

In effect, this means Sevenoaks council, which owns the land, could be making much more money from the scheme.

At this value, the project “cannot be considered to deliver a minimum return to the landowner”, the report says.

Additionally, it says the project would be financially doable “only at considerable risk to the developer in outperforming market norms (sales values and build costs) or accepting lower profits than would commercially be acceptable”.

Bond Bryan are not the developers but the architects Sevenoaks council has worked with to devise the plans.

In this case the council is the developer and is tendering and seeking to appoint direct a contractor to undertake the detailed design and construction.

However, a spokesperson stressed the council itself as the landowner is not seeking returns on the site, and it will still generate a surplus which will be applied to the cost of the new leisure centre.

The spokesperson added that, if planning permission is granted, they intend to award the contract by the autumn, and for construction to be completed about two years later.

Cllr Michael Horwood, cabinet member for improvement & innovation, said: “The development of this site will help provide new high-quality homes whilst paying back the cost of building the town’s new leisure centre.

“We are pleased to be putting forward a good quality scheme with new public space, energy efficient homes, good car parking provision and improved biodiversity with trees and greenery.

“The new government has placed mandatory housing targets on Sevenoaks District to build 1,149 new homes every year up to 2042.

“By using this previously developed brownfield land, we will provide 60 much needed homes, whilst helping to protect our District’s Green Belt.”

The new White Oak Leisure centre features a 25m six-lane swimming pool, 100-station gym and fitness suite, two exercise studios, a cycling studio and a sports hall.

Its opening in 2022 was the largest public investment in Swanley for more than 30 years.

But the new centre sparked backlash from scores of residents due to it offering fewer facilities and certain sports groups being forced to relocate from the original 1960s build leisure centre.

It is not yet known when a decision will be made on the application, but an internal deadline of September 11 has been set.