Town Planner Pro
Free trial
Search appeal decisions

Planning appeal decision

Notice upheld17 February 20253341250

Land at Scarlet Meadow, Matts Hill Road, Rainham, Gillingham Kent, ME9 7XA

Planning appeal 3341250 at Land at Scarlet Meadow, Matts Hill Road, Rainham, Gillingham Kent, ME9 7XA (Medway Council) was dismissed on 17 February 2025 by Inspector King T, following a hearing. The main issue, as the Inspector framed it: The main issue for both appeals A and B is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, with particular regard to its location within the North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now the North Kent Downs National Landscape (NKDNL), and locally designated valued landscapes, namely the North Downs Special Landscape Area (NDSLA), an identified 'Strategic Gap' and also the Matts Hill Farmland Character Area (MHFCA).

‘Retention of dayroom.’ Formal

Authority
Medway Council
Appeal type
enforcement · Enforcement Notice
Procedure
Hearing
Development
caravan-gypsy · Minor traveller and caravan pitches
Inspector
King T
Postcode
ME9 7XE

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

  • The main issue for both appeals A and B is the effect of the development on the character and appearance of the surrounding area, with particular regard to its location within the North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, now the North Kent Downs National Landscape (NKDNL), and locally designated valued landscapes, namely the North Downs Special Landscape Area (NDSLA), an identified 'Strategic Gap' and also the Matts Hill Farmland Character Area (MHFCA).

What decided it

Whether the height of the day-room building would be reduced (via the Unilateral Undertaking) so as to overcome the harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding protected landscape.

For Appeal A the building's excessive height caused harm to the character and appearance of the surrounding area outweighing any other considerations, leading to dismissal; for Appeal B the UU-secured reduction in ridge height was sufficient to make the development acceptable, tipping the balance in favour of allowing the appeal.

What the Inspector cited

Development plan policies
BNE1BNE25BNE31BNE32BNE33
National Planning Policy Framework
Paragraph 187Paragraph 189

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

Town Planner Pro holds this letter. The Appeals plan opens it and every other letter we hold, all of them searchable, with the main issues and what decided each case picked out. We do not show letters on the free site because they carry people’s names and addresses.

Appeals plan, £15 a month

With an account

What an account adds to this decision

45 other decided appeals within two kilometres of this site. In the app every dot opens its decision, and its letter wherever one was published, and you can draw your own site to see what has been decided around it.AllowedDismissedSplitThis decision
An appeal decision in the app, with the main issues, policies and judgments cited picked out beside the letter
Every letter, there to read. We pick out the main issues, the policies and the judgments cited, so you can work through the letter faster.
Searching the full text of appeal decision letters in the app
Search inside every letter. By words or by meaning, filtered by authority, outcome, appeal type and procedure, with every locatable decision on the map and the Inspector named on each.
Start your free trial

More decisions in Medway

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

  1. Notice upheld10 April 20263342871
    4 Everest Lane, Rochester, ME2 3XA
  2. Notice varied and upheld24 March 20263338789
    100 Woodside, Gillingham, ME8 0PW
  3. Planning permission granted19 March 20263338738
    382 Canterbury Street, Gillingham, ME7 5LD
  4. Notice upheld23 October 20253358271
    89 Bryant Road, Rochester, ME2 3ES
  5. Notice upheld20 October 20253349682
    20 Oakhurst Close, Chatham, ME5 9AN

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.