46 Lowfield Street, Dartford, DA1 1HU

Change of Use of first floor from night club (including use of existing vacant part) to Use Class D1 (place of worship with ancillary offices and various ancillary community centre uses) for a temporary period until 10th July 2023 plus demolition of existing steel framed structure to provide additional parking (resubmission of DA/17/01929/COU)

Authority: Dartford Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Hearing
Development: community-institutional · Change of use
Inspector: Davies N

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the change of use of the first floor on the regeneration plans for the Lowfield Street part of the town centre
The effect on the living conditions of those occupiers of surrounding developments
The effect of the continued use of the existing access on traffic and pedestrian safety

What decided it

The temporary nature of the permission meant that none of the identified harms to regeneration, living conditions, or highway/pedestrian safety were sufficiently significant to justify refusal.

The limited and temporary nature of the harms to regeneration, neighbours' living conditions and highway/pedestrian safety did not outweigh the case for granting a further temporary permission pending comprehensive redevelopment.

Framework references: 56

Plan policies cited: Policy DP16, Policy CS2, Policy CS1, Policy DP5, Policy DP3, Policy DP4

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
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Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
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