Land North of Reading Street Road, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 3EA

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• the effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the area including its landscape
• whether the proposed development would result in the loss of the best and most versatile agricultural land
• the effect of the proposed development on highway safety having regard to the capacity of the highway network
• whether sufficient information has been provided to enable the potential effects of the development on archaeology to be understood
• whether the submitted planning obligation is sufficient to mitigate impacts on local infrastructure and make the development acceptable in planning terms

What decided it

The substantial harm to character and appearance through intrusion into the Green Wedge and blocking of protected views, combined with substantial harms to archaeology and highway safety and the inadequacy of the planning obligation, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest benefits of providing 74 dwellings to address a 4.3-year housing supply shortfall.

The adverse impacts of substantial harm to character and appearance, landscape, archaeology, highway safety and moderate harm to agricultural land significantly and demonstrably outweighed the social, economic and environmental benefits of providing 74 dwellings and infrastructure contributions, when assessed against the Framework as a whole.