®Planning appeal decision
Land South of Barming Station and East of Hermitage Lane, Aylesford, ME16 9NS
Planning appeal 3288065 at Land South of Barming Station and East of Hermitage Lane, Aylesford, ME16 9NS (Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) was allowed on 12 May 2022 by Inspector Boniface M, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed residential development having regard to planning policy.
330 dwellings (including 40% affordable homes), togeth er with associated open space, play areas and landscaping (including details of access)
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Boniface M
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed residential development having regard to planning policy
What decided it
The clear and pressing need for housing in the area, combined with the out-of-date development plan policies that restrict housing delivery, means the significant benefits of delivering 330 dwellings (including 40% affordable) outweigh the limited harm to character and appearance and the loss of agricultural land.
The significant contribution towards unmet housing need and affordable housing delivery, together with economic benefits, biodiversity net gain and open space provision, outweigh the limited weight to be attached to conflicts with out-of-date policies CP14 and CP5, the some harm to character and appearance, and the loss of best and most versatile agricultural land, such that the adverse impacts do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP14Policy CP5Policy CP6Policy CP24Policy SQ1Policy SQ8Policy CP9Policy OS3
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 11
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 appliedThe decision letter
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2022
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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.