Yelsted Court Barn, Yelsted Lane, Sittingbourne, ME9 7UT

described on the application form as ‘Part retrospective change of use of existing garden to provide shepherd's hut holiday-let accommodation’

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: leisure-sport · Change of use
Inspector: Price A

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, including on the Kent Downs AONB

What decided it

The limited size and scale of the development, its secluded and well-screened location near existing development, and its design that is not out of keeping with the surrounding rural area, combined with neutral impact on the AONB landscape, meant the proposal accorded with relevant development plan policies and NPPF guidance on AONB protection.

Framework references: 176, 199

Plan policies cited: DM1, DM3, DM30, DM38, SP17, DM23

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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.
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