®Planning appeal decision
Otford Tool & Gauge Co, Maidstone Road, Platt, Kent, TN15 8JE
Planning appeal 3338610 at Otford Tool & Gauge Co, Maidstone Road, Platt, Kent, TN15 8JE (Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council) was dismissed on 25 October 2024 by Inspector Wright A, by written representations. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: Whether the proposed development would provide acceptable living conditions for future occupiers and its effect on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the provision of external amenity space and its impact on protected trees.
Redevelopment of the site to provide 9 new residential dwellings with associated hard and soft landscaping
- Appeal type
- minor · Planning Appeal
- Procedure
- Written Representations
- Development
- residential · Minor Dwellings
- Inspector
- Wright A
- Postcode
- TN15 8JE
Main issues, as the Inspector framed them
- Whether the proposed development would provide acceptable living conditions for future occupiers and its effect on the character and appearance of the area, with particular regard to the provision of external amenity space and its impact on protected trees
What decided it
The unacceptable living conditions for future occupiers of units 2 and 3 caused by the proximity and dominance of protected trees, combined with harm to the character and appearance of the area, significantly and demonstrably outweighed the modest housing supply benefit.
The modest benefit of nine additional family dwellings contributing to housing supply in a context of 4.36 years supply was significantly and demonstrably outweighed by the unacceptable living conditions for future occupiers and harm to character and appearance through impact on protected trees.
What the Inspector cited
- Development plan policies
- Policy CP24 of the Core Strategy 2007Policy SQ1 of the Managing Development and the Environment Development Plan Document 2010Policy NE4 of the Managing Development and the Environment Development Plan Document 2010saved Policy Annex PA4/12 of the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Local Plan 1998
- National Planning Policy Framework
- Paragraph 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 appliedThe decision letter
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With an account
What an account adds to this decision
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The authority’s record since 2016 · every decision in 2024
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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.