Land East of Courtenay House, London Road, Dunkirk, FAVERSHAM, Kent, ME13 9LF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• whether the site is a suitable location for the development in principle, with particular regard to the Council's settlement strategy
• the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the area
• the effect of the development on the Swale Special Protection Area (SPA)
• the appellant's need for the development, with particular regard to their personal circumstances

What decided it

The site's location outside the settlement boundary in an unsustainable countryside location, combined with the appellant's failure to provide medical evidence or demonstrate that the site was the most appropriate means of meeting her needs, meant the adverse impacts of granting permission significantly and demonstrably outweighed the benefits even under the tilted balance.

The significant cumulative weight of conflict with the development plan's settlement strategy and low-level harm to character and appearance outweighed the modest weight given to the appellant's personal circumstances and the social benefits of housing provision in a borough with undersupply, resulting in refusal of permission.