The Studio, Lee Priory, Littlebourne, CT3 1UR

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the site is a suitable location for the proposal having regard to local and national planning policy, and the accessibility of the site to services, employment opportunities and facilities
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area bearing in mind the special attention that should be paid to the desirability of preserving the setting of the nearby Grade II listed building, Lee House, and the extent to which it would preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the Lee Priory and Garrington Conservation Area

What decided it

The less than substantial harm to the setting of the Grade II listed building and the character and appearance of the conservation area, combined with the site's unsuitability due to poor accessibility to services and location in open countryside, outweighs the modest public benefits of housing supply and efficient land use.

The modest public benefits of housing supply, efficient use of the site, temporary construction employment, and future resident expenditure were outweighed by the less than substantial harm to the heritage assets and the site's unsuitability in terms of location and accessibility, with great weight given to conservation of the designated heritage assets.