Planning appeal decision
Fairview Lower Road, Tonge, Sittingbourne, ME9 9BT
Planning appeal 3301524 at Fairview Lower Road, Tonge, Sittingbourne, ME9 9BT (Swale Borough Council) was dismissed on 22 August 2023 by Inspector Price A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the site is a suitable location for housing, having particular regard to the accessibility of services and facilities.
the erection of three x 4 bed detached dwellings with associated parking and amenity space; with new vehicular highway access
- Authority
- Swale Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Price A
- Postcode
- ME9 9BT
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the site is a suitable location for housing, having particular regard to the accessibility of services and facilities
- the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the countryside
- the effect of the proposed development on highway safety
What decided it
The significant harm to character and appearance and the unsustainable location, combined with unresolved highway safety concerns, substantially and demonstrably outweighed the limited housing supply benefits when assessed against the Framework as a whole.
the significant harm to character and appearance and the unsustainable location outweighed the limited benefits of three additional dwellings to housing supply
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- ST1ST3CP3DM14DM24DM26DM29DM6
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 80Paragraph 105Paragraph 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


More decisions in Swale
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Dismissed25 September 20266010408Pigeon Farm Cottage, Cold Harbour Lane, Bobbing, ME9 8NN
- Allowed6 August 20266011728Irie, Minster Drive, Minster-on-Sea, ME12 2NG
- Dismissed14 July 20266002253Land East Of Holywell Primary School, Forge Lane, Upchurch, ME9 7AD
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.
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