Cocketts Bimbury Lane, Stockbury, SITTINGBOURNE, ME9 7QX

demolition of existing house and outbuildings and construction of new house

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Pannell G

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

The effect of the proposed development on protected species
The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to the location of the site within the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

What decided it

The absence of sufficient ecological survey evidence to demonstrate that the proposal would not cause unacceptable harm to protected species, contrary to policies DM1 and DM3 of the Maidstone Borough Local Plan 2017 and NPPF paragraphs 174 and 180.

Framework references: 174, 180, 199

Plan policies cited: DM1, DM3, DM5, DM30, DM32, SP17, SS1

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

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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.
Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.
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