Willington House Ratcliffe Highway, St. Mary Hoo, ROCHESTER, ME3 8RJ

conversion of an existing detached garage into a self- contained residential dwelling

Authority: Medway Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Other minor developments
Inspector: Davies N

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development upon the character and appearance of the area
The effect of the proposed development upon the living conditions of future occupiers

What decided it

The adverse impact on character and appearance and living conditions of future occupiers significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits of housing delivery, even assuming a substantial shortfall in five-year housing supply.

The significant weight given to housing supply contribution was outweighed by the significant weight of adverse impacts on character and appearance and living conditions of future occupiers, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.

Plan policies cited: Policy BNE1, Policy BNE25, Policy BNE2

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

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