Land North of Merryboys, Merryboys Road, Cliffe Woods, ME3 7TP

Planning appeal 3285742 at Land North of Merryboys, Merryboys Road, Cliffe Woods, ME3 7TP (Medway Council) was dismissed on 6 March 2023 by Inspector Douglas L, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for housing, with regard to the development plan.

a 5 bedroom dwelling with ancillary stables and associated landscaping

Authority: Medway Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Douglas L

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the appeal site would be a suitable location for housing, with regard to the development plan
the effect of each proposal on the character and appearance of the area

What decided it

The significant and long-lasting harm to landscape character and appearance caused by suburbanising a rural setting significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits of housing supply and economic gains, even under the tilted balance triggered by the Council's inability to demonstrate a 5-year housing land supply.

The adverse impacts of suburbanisation and harm to landscape character and appearance (assigned significant weight) significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits of housing supply, economic benefits and potential sustainability features (assigned moderate weight), when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies: Saved Policy BNE25Saved Policy S1Saved Policy S2Saved Policy H11Saved Policy BNE1Saved Policy BNE47
National Planning Policy Framework: Paragraph 11Paragraph 56
Judgments: Julian Wood v SSCLG, Gravesham Borough Council [2015] EWCA Civ 195

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.

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The decision letter

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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023

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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.