5 Marlborough Road, Ashford, TW15 3PZ

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effects of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area
• the living conditions of the occupants of 3 Marlborough Road, with particular regard to daylight
• highway safety, with particular regard to parking provision
• whether the development would provide an acceptable standard of accommodation for future occupiers in terms of internal floor space (Appeal B only)

What decided it

The significant and long-lasting harm to character and appearance (Appeal A) and to living conditions of neighbouring occupants combined with failure to provide acceptable standards of accommodation (Appeal B) substantially and demonstrably outweighed the moderate benefits of housing delivery in a location with good public transport accessibility.

The benefits of delivering 3 net additional housing units in a location with good accessibility to public transport and services, together with economic benefits from construction and future occupancy, attracted moderate weight; however, the significant and long-lasting harm to character and appearance (Appeal A) and harm to neighbouring living conditions combined with substandard internal accommodation (Appeal B) attracted substantial weight, such that the adverse impacts significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.