®Planning appeal decision
Holmwood, Bonnington, Ashford, Kent, TN25 7AZ
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Grierson E
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposed development would be in an appropriate location for new housing with regard to the local development strategy and accessibility to services and facilities
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
- the effect of the proposed development on biodiversity
What decided it
The substantial harm to character and appearance, the unsustainable location requiring car dependency, and the unresolved biodiversity concerns collectively outweighed the limited housing benefits, particularly given the conflicts with development plan policies that are generally consistent with the Framework.
The substantial weight given to conflicts with development plan policies and the significant harm to character, appearance and biodiversity outweighed the limited benefits of one dwelling to housing supply and economic/environmental gains, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development did not apply.
Framework references: 11, 60, 69, 79, 80, 105
Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy SP6, Policy HOU5, Policy ENV1, Policy ENV5
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.