Planning appeal decision
Former Lidl, Manor Drive, Kempston, MK42 7AH
Planning appeal 3259135 at Former Lidl, Manor Drive, Kempston, MK42 7AH (Bedford Borough Council) was allowed on 11 January 2022 by Inspector Wilkinson S, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the streetscene.
specialist C2 use accommodation for the elderly consisting of apartments with care, communal facilities, parking and associated private amenity space
- Authority
- Bedford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- community-institutional · Other Major Developments
- Inspector
- Wilkinson S
- Postcode
- MK42 7AH
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the streetscene
- The effect of the proposal on designated heritage assets
- Whether the appeal scheme includes sufficient level of care as required by the Council's adopted policy for C2 Use Class for care accommodation
- Whether the appeal scheme includes adequate provision for waste storage and collection
What decided it
The provision of 3 additional units of specialist elderly care accommodation secured by legal obligation, combined with less than substantial heritage harm outweighed by public benefits, and the material fallback position of the extant permission, justified allowing the appeal.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy 28SPolicy 29Policy 30Policy 31Policy 32Policy 41SPolicy 49Policy 60Policy 89Policy 94Policy 95
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11Paragraph 57Paragraph 202Paragraph 203
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.
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