®Planning appeal decision
26 Bank Street, ASHFORD, TN23 1BE
Proposed erection of first and second floor extension to provide 4 self-contained flats
- Authority
- Ashford Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Conde L
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the Ashford Town Centre Conservation Area
- The living conditions of potential future occupiers with regard to access to external private open space
- Highway safety
- European Protected Sites
What decided it
The less than substantial harm to the character and appearance of the designated heritage asset (the conservation area) outweighed the modest public benefits of housing delivery, in accordance with paragraph 208 of the Framework and the statutory duty under section 72(1) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
The modest public benefits of four new dwellings in a sustainable location did not outweigh the less than substantial harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area, given that great weight must be given to the conservation of heritage assets; the heritage asset protection exception in paragraph 11(d)(i) of the Framework applied, displacing the presumption in favour of sustainable development notwithstanding the lack of five-year housing land supply.
Framework references: 208, 115, 11
Plan policies cited: Policy SP1, Policy SP6, Policy ENV13, Policy ENV14, Policy HOU3a, Policy HOU15, Policy TRA3
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.