®Planning appeal decision
Land adjoining Little Dane, Thurnham Lane, Thurnham, ME14 3LG
the demolition of an existing structure and residential conversion of an existing storage barn with associated parking, landscaping and private amenity space
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Holden S
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether a residential conversion would be an acceptable use of a rural building and if not, would the site be a suitable location for housing
- The effect of the proposal on heritage assets
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the Kent Downs National Landscape (KDNL), including protected and veteran trees
What decided it
The appellant's failure to make reasonable attempts to secure a business re-use for the storage barn, as required by Policy DM31 section 3, meant there was no justification for introducing a residential dwelling in the countryside where there is limited access to services and facilities.
Plan policies cited: Policy DM31, Policy SS1, Policy DM5, Policy DM1, Policy DM4, Policy SP18, Policy DM30, Policy SP17
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.