Staplehurst
| Station Name | Staplehurst |
| Station Code | SPU |
| Station Owner | Southeastern |
| Developable Area | 70.34ha |
| Development Capacity | 3,517 homes (at 50dph) |
| Local Planning Authority | Maidstone |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Required | 2,279 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Homes Delivered | 3,878 |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Score | 170% |
| 2021 Housing Delivery Test - Consequence | None |
| Network Rail Region | South East |
| Network Rail Sub-Region | Kent |
| Passengers, 2020 - 2021 | 152,152 |
| Passengers, 2019 - 2020 | 855,082 |
| UK Station Passenger Rank (Use) | 753 |
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. Staplehurst station had 855,082 passengers enter or exit it during this period. That's roughly 2,349 people per day.
For a station with this number of passengers passing through it each year a density of 50 homes per hectare is reasonable, based on its proximity to major population centres and existing infrastructure.
Staplehurst 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 70.34ha.
Assuming an appropriate (but not prevailing) development density of 50 dwellings per hectare, this area has a development capacity of around 3,517 homes.
The station sits within Maidstone planning authority, which in 2021 achieved a Housing Delivery Test Score of 170%, having delivered 3,878 homes from a target of 2,279. There are no consequences for the planning authority as a result.
The total capacity of all Maidstone's stations is 12,732 homes. That's 559% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
Taking green belt into account, the capacity of Maidstone's stations is 12,156 homes without building on protected land. That's 533% of its total 2021 Housing Delivery Test requirement.
