®Planning appeal decision
The Nurseries, Pralls Lane, Matfield, Tonbridge, TN12 7DX
Planning appeal 3302711 at The Nurseries, Pralls Lane, Matfield, Tonbridge, TN12 7DX (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council) was dismissed on 23 March 2023 by Inspector Lawrence E, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the appeal site is in a suitable location for housing, with regard to adequate access to services.
proposed replacement of former farm office and garage (which benefit from planning permission for residential conversion) with a detached single dwelling, together with car parking provision and landscaping
- Authority
- Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Lawrence E
- Postcode
- TN12 7DX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the appeal site is in a suitable location for housing, with regard to adequate access to services
- The effect of the proposal on the rural landscape and the character of the countryside
What decided it
The material and unacceptable harm to rural character and appearance, combined with the location's unsuitability for housing due to lack of accessible services and reliance on private vehicles, outweighed the modest housing supply benefit in the planning balance.
The adverse impacts of granting planning permission (harm to rural character and conflict with development plan policies) significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits (modest housing supply contribution and economic/social support) when assessed against the policies in the Framework taken as a whole, and the presumption in favour of sustainable development was not applied.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- LP Policy LBD1LP Policy EN1LP Policy EN25LP Policy H13CS Policy 1CS Policy 3CS Policy 4CS Policy 14CS Policy C5
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 8Paragraph 9Paragraph 47Paragraph 11Paragraph 130
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
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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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.