Planning appeal decision
Court Lodge Farm, The Street, Boxley, Maidstone, ME14 3DX
Planning appeal 3310623 at Court Lodge Farm, The Street, Boxley, Maidstone, ME14 3DX (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 24 July 2023 by Inspector Wright A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
the erection of a new single storey 3 bed/6 person dwellinghouse
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Change of use
- Inspector
- Wright A
- Postcode
- ME14 3DX
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area, having particular regard to conserving and enhancing the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
- whether or not the proposed development would provide a suitable location for housing, having regard to the accessibility of services and facilities and the provisions of the development plan
What decided it
The considerable harm to the character and appearance of the AONB and the unsuitability of the location for housing due to poor accessibility to services and facilities, which together outweigh the limited benefits of housing delivery and environmental performance.
The considerable harm to character and appearance and the significant harm from unsuitability of location for housing outweighed the limited benefits of housing delivery, environmental performance, biodiversity enhancement and the neutral heritage considerations.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy SS1Policy SP17Policy DM1Policy DM30
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 79
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
Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.
With an account
What an account adds to this decision


More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council
The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2023
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- Allowed27 October 20266011721Loxley House, Gravelly Bottom Road, Kingswood, Maidstone, ME17 3NT
- Allowed27 October 20266011076Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- Allowed26 October 20266010539Land Rear Of 58 Church Street, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, ME17 4HN
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.
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