®Planning appeal decision
Land Rear of Field House, Standen Street, Benenden, Kent, TN17 4HP
Planning appeal 3256867 at Land Rear of Field House, Standen Street, Benenden, Kent, TN17 4HP (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) was dismissed on 6 August 2021 by Inspector Holden S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: 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.
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
- Postcode
- TN17 4HP
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.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Core Policy 1Core Policy 4Core Policy 14Policy EN1Policy EN25Policy LBD1
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 174Paragraph 176Paragraph 202
How the Inspector dealt with each one is set out in the app, in order: the development plan, national policy, housing land supply, other considerations and the planning balance, beside the letter.
See how each was appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The main issues, what decided it, the planning balance and the policies and judgments listed as cited are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro and are our summary, not the Inspector’s words; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.