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Allowed7 February 20223280915

Land at East Hill, Chatham, Kent, ME7 3JL

Planning appeal 3280915 at Land at East Hill, Chatham, Kent, ME7 3JL (Medway Council) was allowed on 7 February 2022 by Inspector Hartley D, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area including the Area of Local Landscape Importance (ALLI), landscape character and the setting of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Capstone Farm Country Park (CFCP) and public footpaths, and whether the proposal would be incongruous within a countryside setting.

an outline application (with all matters reserved except access) for the erection of up to 800 dwellings with primary school, supporting retail space of up to 150 square metres and local GP surgery, with associated road link between North Dane Way and Pear Tree Lane and other road infrastructure, open space and landscaping

Authority
Medway Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Hartley D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area including the Area of Local Landscape Importance (ALLI), landscape character and the setting of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Capstone Farm Country Park (CFCP) and public footpaths, and whether the proposal would be incongruous within a countryside setting
  • if paragraph 11(d) of the Framework is engaged, whether any identified adverse impacts of the development would significantly and demonstrably outweigh any identified benefits when assessed against policies in the Framework taken as a whole

What decided it

The very substantial weight attributed to the delivery of a significant number of market and affordable homes, in the context of an acute five-year housing land supply shortfall and failed Housing Delivery Test, outweighed the limited landscape, countryside and other harms identified.

the very substantial benefits of housing delivery (including affordable housing), economic and community benefits and biodiversity gain were not significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the identified adverse impacts, including limited landscape harm and conflict with the development plan as a whole, so the balance tipped in favour of allowing the appeal

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
S1S2BNE1BNE2BNE3BNE6BNE8BNE21BNE23BNE24BNE25BNE31BNE33BNE34BNE35BNE37L4L9L10R13T1T2T3T13T14H3CF14
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 48Paragraph 56Paragraph 77Paragraph 80Paragraph 85Paragraph 87Paragraph 92Paragraph 93Paragraph 98Paragraph 99Paragraph 100Paragraph 102Paragraph 105Paragraph 111Paragraph 112Paragraph 120Paragraph 130Paragraph 154Paragraph 167Paragraph 169Paragraph 174Paragraph 176Paragraph 180Paragraph 181Paragraph 182Paragraph 185Paragraph 186

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Medway

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022

  1. Dismissed2 October 20266009769
    Street Record, Callis Way, Parkwood, Gillingham, ME8 9PA
  2. Allowed14 July 20266002996
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  3. Dismissed18 June 20266004736
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  4. Dismissed10 June 20266006543
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  5. Dismissed29 May 20266005151
    3 Kingswood Road, Gillingham, Medway, ME7 1DZ

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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.