The Mounted Rifleman, Luddenham, FAVERSHAM, ME13 0TL

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• Whether the site is a suitable location for the proposal having regard to local and national planning policy, and the accessibility of the site to services, employment opportunities and facilities
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area with particular regard to the local landscape and the countryside as a whole
• The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the local area bearing in mind the special attention that should be paid to the desirability of preserving the setting of the nearby Grade II listed building, The Mounted Rifleman

What decided it

The site's location in open countryside outside defined development boundaries, combined with poor accessibility to services and the harmful urbanising effect on the local landscape, means the proposal conflicts with the development plan as a whole and cannot be justified despite the housing land supply shortfall.

The benefits of housing delivery and the proposal's sustainable design features were outweighed by the locational unsuitability, poor accessibility to services, harmful effect on landscape character, and the protection afforded to the nearby Special Protection Area under the Habitat Regulations.