Land West of Northdown Business Park, Ashford Road, Lenham, Kent, ME17 2DL

Outline application for the construction of up to 2,600 sqm of employment floor space (use classes B2 general industrial, B8 storage and distribution and E(g)(I-III) Offices to carry out any operational or administrative functions, research and development of products or processes and Industrial processes

Authority: Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: employment-industrial · Other minor developments
Inspector: Wyborn D

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether or not the development plan would support the proposed employment use in this location
the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, including having regard to the proximity and any effect on the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
the effect of the proposal on biodiversity including the ability to deliver biodiversity net gain (Appeal A only)

What decided it

Both schemes would cause undue harm to the character and appearance of the area and the setting of the Kent Downs AONB through over-development with insufficient landscaping, which cannot be adequately mitigated at reserved matters stage.

Framework references: 11

Plan policies cited: Policy SS1, Policy SP8, Policy SP17, Policy DM30, Policy DM5, Policy DM1, Policy DM3, Policy CP1, Policy EMP3, Policy D1

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

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.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

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