Planning appeal decision
Windy Bottom Sittingbourne Road, Detling, Maidstone, ME14 3ES
Planning appeal 3324829 at Windy Bottom Sittingbourne Road, Detling, Maidstone, ME14 3ES (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 15 February 2024 by Inspector Carpenter C, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside, including the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (KD AONB).
Retrospective change of use of site to contractor depot and erection of new workshop and office buildings together with removal of unauthorised hardstanding, hard and soft landscaping and ecological enhancements
- Authority
- Maidstone Borough Council
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- employment-industrial · Minor general industry/storage/warehousing
- Inspector
- Carpenter C
- Postcode
- ME14 3ES
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- The effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside, including the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (KD AONB)
What decided it
The substantial and irreversible harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding countryside and the landscape and scenic beauty of the Kent Downs AONB caused by the change of use and proposed development, which cannot be adequately mitigated by the proposed conditions and landscaping measures.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- SS1SP17DM1DM30
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 182Paragraph 48
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 2024
- Dismissed29 October 2026601053621 Tasker Close, Bearsted, Maidstone, ME15 8NZ
- Allowed27 October 20266015190Little Southernden, Southernden Road, Headcorn, TN27 9LL
- 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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