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Dismissed1 March 20243329481

Land North of the A20, Ashford Road, Hollingbourne, Kent, ME17 1XH

Planning appeal 3329481 at Land North of the A20, Ashford Road, Hollingbourne, Kent, ME17 1XH (Maidstone Borough Council) was dismissed on 1 March 2024 by Inspector McCreery D, following an inquiry. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Effects on the character and appearance of the area, including the setting of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

outline application for the erection a building for storage and distribution (Class B8 use) with a floorspace up to 10,788sqm (Gross External Area), ancillary offices, associated car parking, HGV parking, landscaping and infrastructure (All matters reserved except for access)

Authority
Maidstone Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Inquiry
Development
employment-industrial · Major general industry/storage/warehousing
Inspector
McCreery D
Postcode
ME17 1XE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • Effects on the character and appearance of the area, including the setting of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
  • Whether the proposal accords with local and national policy when regard is paid to the location of economic development

What decided it

The significant harm to the setting of the Kent Downs AONB combined with significant conflict with the development plan's locational strategy for economic development (Policy SS1) outweighed the benefits of the scheme.

The significant weight given to economic need and social/economic benefits, together with limited/moderate weight to biodiversity net gain and BREEAM standard, did not outweigh the significant departure from the development plan's employment location strategy and the significant harm to the setting of the AONB.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy SS1Policy SP17Policy SP21Policy DM30Policy DM37LPRSS1LPRSP11(B)LPRSP9LPRSP11(A)LPRSP11LPRQ&D4
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 180Paragraph 186Paragraph 48Paragraph 182Paragraph 85Paragraph 87Paragraph 11

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 applied

The decision letter

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More decisions in Maidstone Borough Council

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024

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  5. Allowed26 October 20266010539
    Land 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.

In the app this decision sits on the map beside every appeal around it, with its letter to read and the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out.