Station Details

Sole Street

Station NameSole Street
Station CodeSOR
Station OwnerSoutheastern
Developable Area55.11ha
Development Capacity1,653 homes (at 30dph)
Local Planning AuthorityGravesham
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required1,154
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered661
2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score57%
2021 Housing Delivery Test - ConsequencePresumption
Green BeltLondon
Green Belt Area55.11ha ( 100% of the potential development area)
Network Rail RegionSouth East
Network Rail Sub-RegionKent
Passengers, 2020 - 202113,862
Passengers, 2019 - 202059,448
UK Station Passenger Rank (Use)1,912

Development Potential

England's busiest station (apart from those serving airports) had 4,170,558 passenger movements in the period 2019-2020. The station with the least was 68. Sole Street station had 59,448 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 163 people per day.

For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 30 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.

Sole Street is located within the South East railway region. The potential area for development around the station (excluding existing buildings, national parks, flood zones, public green space, protected habitats, areas of outstanding natural beauty, world heritage sites and surface water) is approximately 55.11ha.

Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 30 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 1,653 homes.

The station sits within Gravesham planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 57%, having delivered 661 homes from a target of 1,154. As a result of this score, the authority is subject to a 'presumption in favour of sustainable development', according to the NPPF.

The total capacity of all Gravesham's stations is 13,108 homes. That's 1,136% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.

Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Gravesham's stations is 4 homes without building on protected land. That's 0% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.