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Allowed16 January 20253334312

Land North of Lower Road, Eastchurch, ME12 4DE

Planning appeal 3334312 at Land North of Lower Road, Eastchurch, ME12 4DE (Swale Borough Council) was allowed on 16 January 2025 by Inspector Pattison B, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the effect on the landscape.

Outline application for the development of up to 63 dwellings and all necessary supporting infrastructure including internal access roads, footpaths and parking, open space and landscaping, drainage, utilities and service infrastructure works. All detailed matters are reserved for subsequent approval except for access to Lower Road

Authority
Swale Borough Council
Appeal type
major · Planning Appeal
Procedure
Written Representations
Development
residential · Major dwellings
Inspector
Pattison B
Postcode
ME12 4DE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • the effect of the proposal on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the effect on the landscape
  • local services and infrastructure
  • the integrity of the Swale and Medway Estuary Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites

What decided it

The absence of a 5-year housing land supply in Swale, combined with the substantial housing delivery and affordable housing benefits, outweighed the moderate landscape harm and conflict with the development plan's spatial strategy.

The moderate adverse landscape and visual effects and conflict with Policies ST3 and ST6 were outweighed by the substantial benefits of delivering up to 63 homes (including 15% affordable housing), moderate economic benefits, moderate community benefits from open space and green infrastructure, and significant biodiversity net gain (30%), applying the tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11(d) due to the lack of a 5-year housing land supply.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
Policy ST3Policy ST6Policy DM24Policy CP7Policy DM28Policy DM6Policy CP5Policy CP6Policy DM17
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 11Paragraph 83

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 Swale

The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2025

  1. Allowed8 July 20263376221
    Land West Of Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME9 8HR
  2. Allowed23 January 20263368586
    Jubilee Way, Faversham, Kent, ME13 8GD
  3. Allowed10 December 20253365131
    Land At Sandbanks Lane And Seasalter Road, Graveney, Kent , ME13 9DU
  4. Dismissed23 October 20253365056
    Cowstead Farm, Queenborough Road, Halfway, Kent, ME12 3RL
  5. Dismissed2 October 20253360939
    2 Parsonage Chase, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 3JL

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.