Planning appeal decision
Grove Park Farm, Maidstone Road, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0JL
Planning appeal 3316175 at Grove Park Farm, Maidstone Road, Hadlow, Tonbridge, Kent, TN11 0JL (Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) was dismissed on 30 January 2024 by Inspector Shearing C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies.
Termination of use for site as 55 unit accommodation. Redevelopment to form 17 private residential dwellings following conversion of blocks A and C and demolition/ reconstruction of blocks B and D with associated hard and soft landscaping
- Appeal type
- major · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Major dwellings
- Inspector
- Shearing C
- Postcode
- TN11 0JL
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
- whether the proposal would make an appropriate contribution to affordable housing
- whether any harm by reason of inappropriateness, and any other harm, would be clearly outweighed by other considerations, so as to amount to the very special circumstances required to justify the proposal
What decided it
The proposal would cause a considerable reduction in both the spatial and visual aspects of the Green Belt's openness and would not deliver an appropriate contribution to affordable housing, and these harms were not clearly outweighed by other considerations including the housing supply benefit.
the benefits of housing delivery and site improvements did not clearly outweigh the substantial harm to the Green Belt's openness and the harm arising from the absence of affordable housing provision
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP3Policy CP17
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 142Paragraph 154Paragraph 155Paragraph 11
- Judgments
- Turner v SSCLG & East Dorset Council [2016] EWCA Civ 466
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
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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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