Planning appeal decision
Foxden Farm Claygate Road, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6BD
Planning appeal 3302553 at Foxden Farm Claygate Road, Yalding, Maidstone, Kent, ME18 6BD (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 1 September 2023 by Inspector Hickey A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to local and national planning policy for the delivery of housing and accessibility to services and facilities.
proposed conversion of agricultural barns into 2 units of residential accommodation including a change of use of existing studio into ancillary accommodation
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Hickey A
- Postcode
- ME18 6BD
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal site is a suitable location for the proposed development having regard to local and national planning policy for the delivery of housing and accessibility to services and facilities
- Whether it has been demonstrated that a reasonable attempt has been made to secure a suitable business re-use for the existing buildings on site
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area
- Whether the occupants of the proposed dwellings would be safe from the risk of flooding
What decided it
The proposal conflicts with the development plan on multiple grounds—unsuitable location lacking sustainable accessibility, failure to demonstrate business re-use attempts, detrimental impact on rural character and appearance, and unmitigated flood risk to future occupiers—with no material considerations outweighing these harms.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SS1Policy SP17Policy DM1Policy DM5Policy DM30Policy DM31
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 80Paragraph 84Paragraph 159Paragraph 167
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
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Allowed27 October 20266011721Loxley House, Gravelly Bottom Road, Kingswood, Maidstone, ME17 3NT
- Allowed27 October 20266011076Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- Allowed26 October 20266010539Land Rear Of 58 Church Street, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, ME17 4HN
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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