Paddock Wood, Kent yay or nay

[Crackthetoast]

Hi all, first post.
We live in London and are looking to move out to Kent. We found a couple of nice properties, one a new build, in Paddock Wood.
Paddock Wood seems a good option commuting to the City wise, cheaper than Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells, but looking at the stats and reading some posts on social media, it has mixed views.

Some say that the area is rife with anti-social behavior, crime, and an area to avoid. Others that it's a up and coming town and it's actually quiet and not that bad.

Help!! Many thanks

Depends on your lenses doesnt it. I think it's probably a bit of both of those things. If you want to live somewhere with cachet it's probably not that but if you want somewhere good value and convenient it will work.

Quite a big traveler community around Paddock wood. We’re ex Londoners and moved to a village around Headcorn way, the same line but five minutes further.

What about Tonbridge? Cheaper than Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells and closer to London on the train than Paddock Wood. There are pockets of antisocial behaviour in all of these areas really. Or are you hoping for a new build?

I’d avoid PW if near the centre. It’s not terrible, but it would feel pretty backwoods if moving from London and, if I’m honest, the villagers are fairly rustic. Further out towards Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells starts to get nicer, but beware of a huge new build zone planned for Capel, which the locals seem quite agitated about.

If you’re OK with being in a village (closer to TW but better value) then Matfield, Pembury, and Benchley are all quite nice. Trains from Tonbridge are then your best bet, but it does involve quite hefty station parking fees on top of your train fares.

Thank you

Thank you

I will look at Tonbridge as well and all the areas here suggested, many thanks.
Yes, we are also looking at the new builds in Paddock Wood

Hi OP. Did you move to paddock wood in the end? I'm interested in moving too.

No it's a dump and full of middle aged junkies.

Look at some of the surrounding villages instead

The person who wrote saying you didn’t get a reply because you were Indian, I feel it is untrue, as there are different nationalities in the area and growing. Indians, Chinese Caribbean my daughters there and has built up a network of friends from a variety of background. It will become more diverse has to in England, it’s going to be the same which is lovely

@Crackthetoast please let me know if you ended up moving there..we are also thinking of moving there from London...thank you