Milton Lodge Hotel, Milton on Stour, Gillingham , SP8 5QD

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the appeal site constitutes a suitable location for the proposal, having particular regard to local and national planning policies which seek to restrict residential development in the countryside
• The effect of the proposal on the special interest of the Locally Listed Building known as Milton Lodge Hotel, as derived from its setting, and the Milton on Stour Conservation Area

What decided it

The proposal would cause less than substantial harm to the special interest of the locally listed Milton Lodge Hotel and the Milton on Stour Conservation Area, and this harm would not be outweighed by the public benefits, particularly as the heritage exception to the tilted balance applies.

The benefits of housing supply and construction works were outweighed by the harm to the heritage assets and the conflict with countryside protection policies, with the heritage exception displacing the tilted balance that would otherwise apply due to the lack of five-year housing land supply.