Land Adjoining 1 Malvern Road, Dover, Kent, CT17 9RF

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

• The effect of the proposed development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area
• The effect on the living conditions of adjoining occupiers in Folkestone Road and at 1 Malvern Road with particular reference to privacy and visual impact
• Whether living conditions for future occupiers of the flats would be satisfactory having regard to the availability of private amenity space and the outlook from the basement flats
• Whether the potential implications for ecology have been properly considered

What decided it

The adverse impacts of the proposal on character and appearance and living conditions of adjoining residents significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of housing delivery when assessed against the Framework taken as a whole, such that the presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply.

The benefits of delivering 52 residential units on brownfield land in a sustainable location were outweighed by the substantial harm to character and appearance, the incongruous visual impact on the locality, and the unacceptable visual impact on the living conditions of adjoining residents, with the importance of good design and amenity trumping the housing provision.