®Planning appeal decision
Land rear of Field House, Standen Street, Benenden, Kent, TN17 4HP
outline application for the erection of seven dwellings with associated landscaping and new access through Field House
- Authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Holden S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to heritage assets including the settings of the Iden Green Conservation Area and listed buildings within the settlement
- the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area having regard to its location within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- whether the site is suitable for a residential development having regard to local and national policy for the delivery of housing
What decided it
The cumulative harms to the Iden Green Conservation Area and High Weald AONB provide a clear reason under paragraph 11(d)(i) of the Framework to refuse the development, displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development.
The modest social and limited economic benefits of providing 7 new homes do not outweigh the less than substantial harm to the Conservation Area (to which considerable weight must be given) and the limited harm to the AONB (to which great weight must be given), with the conflict with the Council's spatial strategy counting further against the scheme.
Framework references: 11, 174, 176, 202
Plan policies cited: Core Policy 1, Core Policy 4, Core Policy 14, Policy EN1, Policy EN25, Policy LBD1
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.