®Planning appeal decision
Land West of Hermitage Farmhouse., Hermitage Lane, Aylesford Maidstone, Kent, ME16 9NT
a change of use of land and the erection of a single bay helicopter hangar to provide secure helicopter storage together with maintenance workshop, landing pad, parking and landscaping
- Authority
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Change of use
- Inspector
- Buchanan R
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the countryside
- whether the site is a suitable location for the proposal having regard to its intended use and the need for it, and local and national planning policy for development in the countryside
What decided it
The functional necessity of locating the helicopter hangar in close proximity to the quarry to support its continued operation, combined with the significant economic and environmental benefits, outweighed the limited harm to countryside character and appearance.
The limited intrinsic harm to the character and appearance of the countryside was outweighed by the appreciable social, economic and environmental benefits from the construction and operation of the development in support of an essential rural employment use.
Framework references: 56
Plan policies cited: Policy CP24 of the Core Strategy, September 2007, Policy SQ1 of the Managing Development and the Environment Development Plan Document, April 2010, CS Policy CP14
The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.